After much speculation, Mick Schumacher has finally been announced as Mercedes’ reserve driver for 2023, following his departure from Haas at the end of the 2022 season.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff expressed his intent of wanting to bring Schumacher into the Silver Arrows fold, from the moment Nico Hulkenberg was declared as the German’s replacement at Haas.
The Brackley-based team were in desperate need of a reserve driver, with Stoffel Vandoorne having switched to Aston Martin to become their reserve driver, whilst Nyck de Vries moved to AlphaTauri to replace Pierre Gasly.
As well as his move to Mercedes having been confirmed, it was also announced that he will no longer be a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, unsurprisingly.
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He will, of course, receive incredible support from Mercedes, who changed their Twitter bio to “Welcome to The Family, Mick”.
Schumacher will not only be working with a world-class team; he will also get to work with seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, something that could make the 23-year-old a better driver.
Wolff will also likely support Schumacher’s bid to get a seat somewhere in 2024, meaning that a year on the bench at Mercedes is certainly not a bad thing at all.
Schumacher is “thrilled” to be joining the Mercedes family, something his father, seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher, also did in 2010.
“I am thrilled to be part of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team as their reserve driver for 2023, and I am committed to give it my all to contribute to their performance in this very competitive and professional environment,” Schumacher said.
“I take this as a new start, and I am just excited and grateful to Toto [Wolff] and everybody involved for putting their trust in me. F1 is such a fascinating world, and you never stop learning, so I look forward to absorbing more knowledge and putting in all my efforts for the benefit of the Mercedes team.”
Wolff is very happy at the signing of the young German, who will drive for the team when either Hamilton or George Russell are unable to.
The Austrian confirmed that Schumacher will “help us develop the W14”, as the team target a return to the top.
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“Mick is a talented young driver and we’re delighted to have him join the Team,” said Wolff.
“He is a hard worker, has a calm and methodical approach and is still hungry to learn and improve as a driver. These are all important qualities, and we’re excited for him to help us develop the W14.
“We also know that with two years of experience racing in Formula One under his belt, he will be ready to step into the car at short notice to replace either Lewis or George, should that need arise.”