SUMMARY
- Mick Schumacher has not had many opportunities to prove himself in the sport, unlike his father Michael Schumacher who was a champion and always in the headlines.
- No F1 seat for a season left him without a chance to develop further. It seemed like it was all over for him.
Unlike his father, Michael Schumacher, who made headlines and took championship victories like they were nothing, Mick Schumacher has barely received a chance to stay in the sport and prove he is worthy of a seat. With a whole season of having no place in F1 and no chance to develop further as a driver, it seemed like everything was over for him.
Nonetheless, it was only the start of a new journey that the German had planned on taking as he confirmed his seat with Alpine for the 24 Hours of LeMans in 2024. The driver is set to compete against Jenson Button and others while piloting Alpine’s A242_Ăź.
As integral as this new step in his career is, many seem to believe he may not be ready to drive in the Endurance Championship considering his past performance in Haas. However, he has received full support for walking a new path in 2024 but not from Mercedes or Haas.
Mick Schumacher gets a pat on the back but not from Mercedes
Mick Schumacher joined Mercedes this season after being kicked out of Haas for the destruction that he caused leaving the team with a huge loss to bear. However, he only spent his time in the simulator working to help Mercedes develop their car and understand the many issues that caused their downfall in 2023.
As he moves to the 2024 season, having sat on the sidelines for a whole year with no opportunity knocking on his door, he finally gives himself another chance as he participates in a test drive for Alpine’s LeMans team. While he was one of the many drivers who tested for the team, his hard work paid off as he was signed to drive for the next season.
🚨 | Alpine believe Mick Schumacher is “underestimated” in F1.
They are excited for his 2024 progress:https://t.co/R9V7lSFWoW
— formularacers (@formularacers_) December 24, 2023
But with such a great opportunity in his hands, it was not Mercedes who pat the German on the back and congratulated him for this new expedition but the Alpine team. While he is sure to stay as a third driver for the Silver Arrows team, but will also have other responsibilities to fulfill.
The Alpine team’s Bruno Famin talked about having Schumacher on board for the 2024 season. He said,
“I’m convinced that in Formula 1, he is underestimated. Because I think he’s a very good driver, a very fast driver.”
With hopes of having a good result for their LeMans 2024, the son of the legendary Schumacher will be joining the lineup too.
Bernie Ecclestone defends Mick Schumacher against Haas
Spending most of his time out of a seat for the 2023 season as a consequence of his poor performance at Haas left a huge toll on Schumacher. The driver who himself once mentioned it might be too late for him to get an opportunity in F1 again was defended by Ecclestone, who despite his legal battle took time to praise the German.
He said, “Schumacher’s struggles at Haas may have been influenced by the team dynamics and suggests a different environment could have allowed him to develop and showcase his capabilities more effectively.”
📰: Bernie Ecclestone suggests Mick Schumacher would have been better understood and supported at Red Bull, speculating that the coaching and assistance he might have received there could have led to a different outcome for the talented German driver. Ecclestone believes that… pic.twitter.com/q7SwE7r73D
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) December 19, 2023
Despite having a seat in F1, it is of no use when one may be threading in the back with a non-competitive car made to not win. Nonetheless, with a new chance to prove himself in hand, the driver now has better responsibilities to attend to for his 2024 season.
