The son of a legend might well soon find himself on the grid.
The son of one of the most successful Formula 1 drivers in history, Michael Schumacher, could be returning to the sport that made his father an icon: Mick Schumacher, who lost his seat at Haas at the end of 2022, has become a reserve driver at Mercedes. Yet another new opportunity may soon come knocking.
Audi's New Concept
For German car manufacturer Audi, in partnership with Sauber, it will be the final step forward into Formula 1, and an individual like Mick Schumacher will be of importance when building up that vision.
Current Audi F1 program team head and ex-Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto may confirm this rumor that the latter will take up a seat with the Sauber team next season - 2025. Binotto has been working at Ferrari's Driver Academy with the young pilot whose skills and talents he has recognized and welcomed.
A Long-Term Investment
Beyond the purely short-term risk, however, this commitment by Audi to Schumacher mirrors strategic, long-term conceptions regarding his involvement in Formula 1. The German manufacturer perceives Schumacher as a potentially invaluable asset in the process of building up a competitive team. Binotto has always said that the team needs care for the youth, and Schumacher is the talent. The young German has started showing his potential in his very short Formula 1 career so far and, if managed properly, could ripen into a great driver.
A Hard-Fought Struggle Of course, Schumacher is ambitious for the seat, but he faces stiff competition from several very capable drivers. Among them is Valtteri Bottas, very experienced in F1. Another could be Gabriel Bortoleto from Formula 2. That's how highly he is rated nowadays, climbing up the ranks very rapidly.
That would depend on who the Audi thinks best captures their vision for the future in a driver. Meanwhile, if he can convince the team management, then Schumacher might see himself returning to the grid in the 2025 season. Mick Schumacher awaits the day perhaps, just perhaps, this will happen to a huge return to Formula 1-but for him, the legacy of his father runs over everything in the sport. The young German is to use the mountain of atmosphere surrounding such an event as an opportunity and merge them into forging his own identity within it. His chance at sitting in the cockpit at Sauber will surely have had the biggest stage of motorsport open up to them. Perhaps, someday he will even have the chance to step into the rostrum as did his great dad.
