F1 News: Schumacher likely to remain Mercedes F1 bench warmer

(GMM) Mick Schumacher’s ‘plan B’ appears to be remaining on the sidelines in Formula 1 as a reserve driver (i.e. bench warmer).

As he served as Mercedes’ reserve in Singapore, the German admitted his ‘plan A’ is to be signed as Nico Hulkenberg’s teammate at Audi-owned Sauber next year.

However, the Swiss-German collaboration looks set to retain Valtteri Bottas instead, whilst potentially grooming rookie Gabriel Bortoleto for a future race role.

Schumacher, dropped by Haas after 2022, says he’s not giving up on F1.

“Formula 1 is the big goal – it always was and it always will be,” he told Sky Deutschland. “That’s why everything else has to stand still for now.

“The options that exist alongside it have to wait.”

Schumacher, now 25, pairs his Mercedes reserve role with an Alpine race seat in the world endurance championship.

“It’s important that my jobs as reserve driver and on the race track at Alpine go as well as possible,” he insisted. “It went really well in Fuji,” Schumacher added, referring to his first WEC podium finish recently.

As for his Mercedes F1 role, Mick says that takes place “more behind the scenes, so you don’t see exactly what’s going on there”.

“But it’s going well there too. So we’re all confident that I’ll continue doing it.”