Mick Schumacher’s search for a full-time seat in 2024 has begun, with the German having completed his last race for Haas last Sunday.
It was hardly a season finale to write home about for the 23-year-old, who finished P16 following a collision with Nicholas Latifi.
He still ended the race above former team-mate Kevin Magnussen, who was last out of the remaining runners.
It marked the end of an odd relationship, with the American side having been incredibly critical of the German driver for the majority of the season, something they’ve been criticised for.
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It appears, though, that Haas’ loss is set to be Mercedes’ gain, after team principal Toto Wolff publicly demonstrated his desire to give Schumacher a job at the Silver Arrows, with his surname “belonging to Mercedes”.
Wolff is a huge fan of the son of Michael Schumacher and would like him to become their test and reserve driver for next season, where he’d get to work alongside George Russell and seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
Schumacher’s uncle, ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, thinks a role at Mercedes would be “incredible” for his nephew, due to the amount he could learn from Hamilton, especially.
“Mick Schumacher is aiming for a comeback in a regular cockpit,” Schumacher wrote in his Sky Sport column.
“An interim step towards this goal is a role as a test and reserve driver with Mercedes.
“For Mick, this would definitely be a sensible step because he can work with a team that has a lot of experience and can help Mick progress.
“The processes at Haas and Mercedes are different and that is something Mick can benefit from.
“It would definitely be important for him to work with a team like Mercedes, to do simulator work, to learn from Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who have both won races, or in Hamilton’s case, world championships. That would be an incredible wealth of experience for Mick to pick up.
“Hamilton is now so experienced that he can pass on a lot to young drivers. All in all, it would be incredible for Mick to work with these two drivers and with such a team – especially because they want him.
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“It’s hard to put it any clearer than that, as Toto Wolff has done. It’s also a new experience for Mick after such a year, to finally be in a team that stands behind him.”
Should he make a move to Mercedes for 2023, then this could massively support his bid to get a full-time seat somewhere in 2024, given the contacts and influence that Wolff has.
Should any of the Mercedes-powered teams have a seat available in 2024 then Wolff will all but certainly be pushing to get Schumacher the drive, highlighting just one of the benefits a reserve role at Mercedes could present.