Mick Schumacher Joins Mercedes As Reserve Driver For 2023 F1 Season – Sport Grill
Mercedes have signed Mick Schumacher as reserve driver for 2023 F1 Season.
Schumacher has spent the last two seasons racing for Haas on loan from Ferrari in which he claimed 12 points across 43 races, yet ultimately failed to retain his team as the American constructor opted to sign Nico Hulkenberg for next season.
Ferrari also released the 23 year-old from their Driver Academy which led Mercedes to swoop for the German to act as back-up to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in a reserve role, which had previously been shared by Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck De Vries.
Vandoorne and De Vries though have moved to Aston Martin and AlphaTauri in reserve and race driver roles respectively, which had left Mercedes without a reserve driver in event of Hamilton or Russell being unable to race and Schumacher is “thrilled” to be appointed as their new reserve driver.
Schumacher has vowed that he is “committed to give it my all to contribute to their performance in this very competitive and professional environment.”
Having left Ferrari’s youth system and lost his drive at Haas, Schumacher has vowed to treat this opportunity as a second chance, as he said: “I take this as a new start, and I am just excited and grateful to Toto 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.”
Team Principal, Toto Wolff added that Schumacher is “talented” and is “delighted” to welcome him to Mercedes.
Explaining why Mercedes have recruited Schumacher, Wolff commented: “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.”