Mercedes extends Schumacher F1 reserve role to McLaren

©Mercedes

Mercedes will once again share its official reserve driver with engine customer McLaren, meaning Mick Schumacher will also back-up this season team papaya's Lando Norris and rookie Oscar Piastri.

Schumacher was picked up by Mercedes after he was left without a race seat for 2023 after two years with Haas.

The 23-year-old will attend all F1 races next season embedded with his new team as its official reserve driver, but he'll also conduct development work in the outfit's simulator at Brackley.

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Mercedes has followed in recent seasons a policy of making available its reserve drivers to McLaren, with Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries fulfilling that role last year.

Vandoorne, who is currently defending his Formula E title with DS Penske, has retained a reserve function for 2023, but with Aston Martin, while de Vries has moved over to AlphaTauri.

Coincidently, new McLaren team principal Andrea Stella worked alongside Mick's father Michael Schumacher at Ferrari as the great German driver's performance engineer.

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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.