Schumacher set to lose Ferrari backing at the end of 2022

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Reports have emerged that Mick Schumacher is set to be dropped from Ferrari's Driver Academy at the end of the season, a move that could also spell the end of his two-year tenure with Haas.

Schumacher's future with Haas was openly questioned last weekend in Spa, but confirmation of his departure from Maranello's FDA would leave the young German with only a very slim chance to remain with the US outfit – a Ferrari engine customer – and with few opportunities to remain in Formula 1.

Both Alpine and Williams have open seats for next season, and while Schumacher was mentioned as a potential candidate to fill Fernando Alonso's seat at the Enstone squad, the team appears to have made Pierre Gasly its main priority.

Read also: Gasly to Alpine could open door for Schumacher to join AlphaTauri

Gasly's exit from AlphaTauri and the Red Bull family could nevertheless open the door for Schumacher's transfer to the Faenza-based team, but Helmut Marko is rumored to have taken a keen interest in IndyCar star Colton Herta who ambitions to race in Formula 1.

While Schumacher enjoyed a high-profile entry into motorsport thanks to his famous name, the 23-year-old made his mark by winning the FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2 Championship in 2018 and in 2020.

He joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2019 as part of a group of young guns that included Callum Ilott, Marcus Armstrong, Robert Shwartzman and Enzo Fittipaldi.

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His FDA membership led to several F1 test outings with Ferrari and Alfa Romeo in April 2019 in Bahrain. But his F2 title with Prema in 2020 equated to a graduation to his race seat in F1 with Haas.

Schumacher did not score any points with the US outfit in 2021.

But a troubled period earlier this year with the team, marked by big crashes at Jeddah and in Monaco, put a dark cloud over his future with Haas.

Schumacher nevertheless regained his footing at Silverstone, thanks to a P8 finish that was followed a week later by an even better 6th in Austria.

But Schumacher's track record was pointless in the last three races. And news of Ferrari dropping its support for the German puts his future in F1 once again in jeopardy.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.