Schumacher's F1 Future: Mercedes Keeps the Door Open Amid Alpine Rumors
Sep.18 - Mick Schumacher can keep his reserve seat at Mercedes even if he signs up with Alpine, according to Toto Wolff.
As Mercedes boss, Wolff kept Schumacher's Formula 1 career alive this year after he was dumped for poor performance by Haas.
The German, 24, had hoped to return to the grid for 2024, but with most doors closed at the F1 teams, reports suggest Schumacher is in talks with Alpine.
As well as having its Enstone-based F1 team, Renault-owned Alpine will race at Le Mans and in the world endurance championship next year in the top Hypercar category.
But even if Schumacher does sign with Alpine, Wolff says the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher will remain welcome at Mercedes.
"Mick has a place here as a reserve driver - he is part of the family," he told Bild newspaper. "We hope he stays in the role with us and we'll give him time in the car."
At the same time, Wolff acknowledged Schumacher's supposed talks with Alpine.
"If he can get a seat with another manufacturer in WEC, in sportscars or somewhere else, he will always have this home base here," the Austrian said.
"Whatever program he does on the side, he can stay with us as a reserve driver if it is also possible from the other side," Wolff added.
Schumacher was spotted visiting Alpine's hospitality terrace over the Singapore race weekend, but he may have just been hanging out with his friend Jack Doohan.
Michael Schumacher named his son after Alpine reserve driver Jack Doohan's famous father, multiple motorcycle world champion Mick Doohan - a long-time friend of Michael's.
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How could he realistically have considered a team with zero intention of sacking either of its current drivers.
Only in WEC, if anything.
I'm still touting MSC to replace SAR at Williams. That's the fit.....certainly not a F1 seat at Renault. If he does WEC or IndyCar in the US, he is done in F1.
Maybe I'm ignorant of the situation, but I don't see why Williams would retain SAR.
Williams don't have much of an intention to sack SAR.
So the day Williams confirms Sargent, Micks F1 career is over, nice though of Toto to say yeah , if he gets a bit of a drive somewhere else or "on the side" as Christian delightfully puts it ,hell still be a Mercedes Reserve driver, I'm sure Renault WEC are over the moon to hear there project described like that,having a driver in there car still with one eye on F1..
At the start of the 26 season Mick will be 27yr with potentially 3 years out of F1, unless for the next 40 months he wins every race he enters, I unfortunately cant see a way back in.
Spot on. I'm a MSC fan and don't think he got a fair chance at Gunny's house, but it's Williams or Gina's ranch.
40... or 30... its the same thing
Mick can ill afford to be a wallflower for another season. His whole career will take a marked downward trend if he sits another season out of competition. Motor racing is a game where you cannot afford to rest on past achievements alone. You must be making new achievements to keep your name on people's minds.
If he takes on WEC, at least he will be back in competition and getting his name up in lights! Even DTM would be better than being a wallflower!