Yahoo Autos Schumacher to test alongside Doohan as Alpine explores driver options
Mick Schumacher will take part in an Alpine test alongside reserve driver Jack Doohan as the team continues to weigh up its driver options for 2025.
The test will be in a 2022 car at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, as part of the testing of previous cars (TPC) running that is allowed under the regulations with two-year-old machinery. Alpine has been giving Doohan plenty of track time and the latest test continues his development alongside his FP1 and simulator work, but Schumacher will also get an outing.
“As part of our TPC program, we will test reserve driver Jack Doohan, in line with his 2024 schedule, as well as Mick Schumacher as part of his Alpine Endurance project next week at Circuit Paul Ricard,” an Alpine spokesperson said. “We look forward to continuing to use our Race Support Team and the A522 Formula 1 car during our TPC program.”
Schumacher is part of Alpine’s sportscar team competing in the World Endurance Championship and raced in the top class at Le Mans 10 days ago, but both of the team’s cars were retired around the quarter-distance mark due to suspected engine issues.
While he’s been testing with Mercedes and in old McLaren machinery, the timing of the Alpine run comes with the team analyzing its options for 2025, with Esteban Ocon announced as leaving the team at the end of the year. That leaves at least one vacancy – with Alpine keen to retain Pierre Gasly but his future also still unconfirmed – and both Doohan and Schumacher are understood to be under consideration.
Doohan has not yet raced in F1 while Schumacher completed two seasons with Haas before losing his seat at the end of 2022, being replaced by Nico Hulkenberg.
Carlos Sainz is also a target for Alpine but the French constructor is believed to still be ranked as the outside option behind Williams and Stake – the future Audi entry – while Zhou Guanyu has also been interested in a return to Alpine having come through the young driver program there, and Zhou’s current teammate Valtteri Bottas is also still on the market.
