Mick Schumacher refuses to give up on his Formula 1 dream, but as determined as he may be, the young German admits that he's fighting an “exhausting” battle.
Schumacher lost his seat with Haas at the end of the 2022 season but has kept a foot in F1’s door thanks to his reserve role with Mercedes, a job that includes among other tasks important simulator work for the team on race weekends.
The 25-year-old readily acknowledges the challenge he’s facing and the draining feeling of having to constantly push to regain a full-time spot in the sport.
“Fighting your way back is exhausting,” Schumacher said in an interview with The Independent.
“You get this cake presented to you which is really good, but you’re not allowed to eat it. And you have to watch everybody else eat it. So it’s tough, for sure, but I know why I’m doing it.
“Frankly, the way I was two years ago has nothing to do with the person I am today. F1 has been a dream I’ve had since I was five years old and I’m not ready to let go of that dream, right?
“Sometimes you feel like you have a chance, then it actually never ends up happening because something else happens.
“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster and a draining last few years. But I’m working my way back.”
©Mercedes
While his name has been cited along with others in connection with Esteban Ocon’s soon-to-be-vacated seat at Alpine, for whom Schumacher competes in the World Endurance Championship, opportunities seem few and far between for Mick.
Even Mercedes doesn’t appear to be giving its reserve driver serious consideration, as the Brackley squad is focused first and foremost on promoting its young protégé Andra Kimi Antonelli to the big time.
“Maybe I will start writing my CV and send it to people! It’s never been a secret, my goal is to be back on the grid,” he added.
“I’ve shown in multiple ways that I am capable of winning championships. It’s just a matter of it fitting into somebody’s schedule, does it fit into their plan?”
While he learned his trade in F1 with Haas during two seasons, an apprenticeship that proved costly at times for both team and driver, Schumacher suggests that there's a significant aspect of his driving ability that hasn’t been fully showcased yet.
“There’s a lot which hasn’t been seen yet, especially from a driving point of view,” he added.
“I understand how I could have improved [at Haas], and there’s a lot more to show from my side. It’s all about, what do you want in your team right now? Do you want somebody who you can build a team around? Good for marketing? Purely shut up and drive? There are so many different types of drivers.
“As for me, I’m really hungry for it. I just need to keep performing in WEC, showing everybody what I can do.
“Then people will know what they get if they hire me, and hopefully I’ll be able to prove to everybody that they made the wrong decision in not keeping me.”
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