Mick Schumacher will be McLaren‘s reserve driver for 2023 as part of their partnership with Mercedes, ready to step in if Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri can’t race.
Schumacher raced for Haas in F1 in 2021 and 2022 before losing his seat to Nico Hulkenberg. That means he’s spending a year on the sidelines, but there’s still plenty of optimism from fans that he can make a full-time return to F1 in the future.
He’s one of the more experienced active F1 drivers out there so would be a good stand-in for McLaren, and as the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, he brings together two of the most famous names in F1.
The last McLaren reserve driver called up to F1 was Jenson Button for Fernando Alonso at the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix, so Schumacher has some big shoes to fill.
The news comes after Mercedes announced him as their reserve driver in December.
“Mick is a talented young driver and we’re delighted to have him join the team,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said at the time. “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.”
