Mick Schumacher has joined Mercedes as a reserve driver after Ferrari ended a four-year relationship with him.
Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion and Ferrari legend Michael, is looking for the next step in Formula One after being dumped out by Haas this year after two disappointing seasons.
On Thursday, shortly after Ferrari confirmed it would part ways with the 23-year-old, Mercedes officially announced him as a reserve driver for the 2023 season.
This new role means Schumacher will perform simulator duties at the Brackley Mercedes factory and attend races as a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton or George Russell if they are unable to compete in certain races, while he will also be available for Mercedes’ partner team. Williams and Aston Martin.
It also means Schumacher is keeping one foot in the door for a future in F1. Former Mercedes reserve driver Nyck de Vries gets himself a full-time F1 driver with AlphaTauri in 2023 after his impressive showing for Williams at the Italian Grand Prix in September.
The role continued Schumacher’s affiliation with Mercedes, which funded Michael’s early career. He also drove a Mercedes between 2010 and 2012, the first three seasons since returning to the F1 grid.
Mick entered the Ferrari driver program in 2019, a year after winning the Formula 3 championship. He won the Formula 2 championship in 2020, moving him up to F1 with Haas in 2021.
Schumacher struggled with an uncompetitive car in his first year. But in 2022, he was often outperformed by his more experienced teammate, Kevin Magnussen, and only scored points in two races. Haas replaced him with Nico Hulkenberg for 2022.
