Mick Schumacher Not Giving Up on Return to Formula 1 Seat

Former Haas F1 Team driver Mick Schumacher's Plan B appears to be remaining on the sidelines in Formula 1 as a reserve driver.

As the 25-year-old Schumacher 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, while potentially grooming rookie Gabriel Bortoleto for a future race role.

Schumacher, dropped by Haas after racing for the team in 2021 and 2022, says he's not giving up on F1.

"Formula 1 is the big goal—it always was and it always will be," Schumacher told Sky Deutschland. "That's why everything else has to stand still for now. "The options that exist alongside it have to wait."

Schumacher is keeping busy biding time in his Mercedes reserve role along 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."