Mercedes announce Mick Schumacher as their reserve driver for the 2023 season as the son of F1 legend Michael ends four-year partnership as a Ferrari junior driver after losing his race seat at Haas
- Mick Schumacher has joined Mercedes as their reserve driver for 2023
- The 23-year-old has ended his four-year junior driver partnership with Ferrari
- He has been left without a race seat for 2023 after he was replaced at Haas
- His legendary father, Michael, raced for Mercedes from 2010 to 2012
Mercedes have announced that Mick Schumacher will be their reserve driver for the 2023 season.
The son of seven-time champion Michael, has ended his four-year partnership as a Ferrari junior – after also losing his Haas seat to the returning Nico Hulkenberg.
It means he will work alongside seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell and cover them if they miss a race, in a season where the Mercedes team look to return to the top of the field.
Mercedes have named Mick Schumacher as their reserve driver for the 2023 season
Schumacher will step in if Lewis Hamilton or George Russell miss a race for whatever reason
Schumacher, 23, joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2019, and after winning the Formula Two championship in 2020, he moved to the Haas team.
However, he had two underwhelming seasons with the American outfit, failing to score a point in his first season, while he was convincingly outperformed by his experienced team-mate Kevin Magnussen in 2022.
He was also involved in a number of on-track incidents over his two seasons and was criticised at times by Haas’ team principal Guenther Steiner.
In an official statement on Mercedes’ website, Schumacher said: ‘I am thrilled to be part of the Mercedes 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, 23, has also ended his four-year partnership with Ferrari as their junior driver
The German had an underwhelming two seasons at Haas and had a number of incidents
He was replaced at Haas by Formula One veteran Nico Hulkenberg for the 2023 season
‘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.’
Team principal Wolff described Schumacher as a ‘talented’ young driver who they are happy to have as part of the team.
He said: ‘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.
Mick’s father Michael raced for Mercedes for three seasons before retiring back in 2012
‘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.’
In Mercedes, Schumacher joins another team this his legendary father raced for.
Michael Schumacher is more known for his time at Ferrari who he won five of his seven straight championships for between 2000 and 2004.
After retiring in 2006, Michael Schumacher joined Mercedes in 2010, spending three seasons with the outfit before he retired and was replaced by Lewis Hamilton.
Mick Schumacher’s arrival at Mercedes comes after former reserve drivers Nyck de Vries and Stoffel Vandoorne both left the German outfit.
