Mick Schumacher was behind the wheel of a McLaren car for the first time this week at a test in Portugal, and the Mercedes Reserve Driver says he revelled in the chance to gain experience with another team in race-winning machinery.
It was announced in February that we would be able to call upon Schumacher as a Reserve Driver during 2023 as part of our arrangement with Mercedes, meaning that we’d benefit from his services if one of Lando or Oscar were unable to drive.
In return, Mick would get the chance to test with our team in the Italian Grand Prix-winning MCL35M at a private test in Portimão, an exercise that should prove helpful in his own development whilst also ensuring he’s ready to race for us if called upon.
Ahead of the test, the German spent time at our factory in Woking, undergoing a seat fit and plotting out a run plan with the team specifically tailored to him.
My first test with McLaren was great, we did so many laps out there,” Schumacher said. “It has been really good to get that experience with the team. It is a great team and a great bunch of people.
“We went through the whole schedule beforehand when I was at the factory. We were trying to focus on the things that I think are important for me, in terms of my development, and for the team to get to know me.
“We ran through some different projects, it was mainly about driving style and getting to understand the tyre. The tyre we used is an academy tyre, so it is a little different, but it is a great one to learn on and improve my skills, and that is what we were really focused on.
“It was good to get a feeling for driving a race-winning car, as this car won in Monza. It was great gaining the knowledge of how to drive this car and how to get around in it quickly.”
