F1 News: Mick Schumacher On Reserve Driver Role With Mercedes - "Opened My Eyes"
Mercedes reserve driver Mick Schumacher revealed that his role with the team has opened his eyes in many ways to how a technically sound team operates, especially after he departed from Haas.
His journey with the American outfit ended after two seasons but, being left without a proper seat led him to accept the Mercedes reserve driver role - a team that his father Michael Schumacher once raced for.
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While the young driver has received high praise from team boss Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton for his simulator work, finding a seat in Formula 1 for next season would be nearly impossible.
Schumacher might move away from F1 next season as reports of him joining Alpine for the WEC recently surfaced. That should keep him busy enough until he finds an F1 seat to race in the future. Fortunately for him, Wolff has clarified that the 24-year-old may continue his reserve driver duties even if he chooses to race for Alpine.
Speaking about his experience working with Mercedes, Schumacher reveals that being a reserve driver for Mercedes gave him "tremendous insight." Talking to Top Gear, he said:
“Being a reserve driver gives you tremendous insight, especially at Mercedes.
"I miss driving, I’m not going to lie. But the main thing I’ve learned since moving from Haas to Mercedes is how the team operates, the tools they have, how they use them and the communication.
"They’re big learning points. It has opened my eyes in a lot of ways and has made it clear why Mercedes is as successful as it is. The worst part is sitting in the garage and seeing everybody drive out and do what you love to do.”
Schumacher revealed how he got obsessed with cars after his father let him drive some "very nice cars." When asked about the source of his passion for cars, he gave an expected answer. He said:
“Honestly, I don’t really know where I got into them. Driving them around the property as a child was a big factor.
"The first time I had a steering wheel in my hand from a road car was maybe four or five years old, on my dad’s lap. I got to drive very nice cars, very soon and very early. I guess it just grew naturally. Especially when I turned 18 – then it really turned into an obsession.
"I went looking for an Evo II to buy but decided against it… for now. It’s a beautiful car and has huge sentimental value to me. The main reason being that my dad had one as a company car when he was a Mercedes junior.
"He spent a lot of time doing lots of laps on the Nordschleife with Heinz-Harald Frentzen. I remember within a month they had to change the brake pads and things with the engine. So it’s an emotionally important car to me.”
