Mick Schumacher’s decision to step away from F1 despite a reported offer from Mercedes speaks volumes to the 25-year-old forging his own path – as sad as it may feel today.
The son of a Formula 1 legend, but even more weighty, a Ferrari legend, Mick Schumacher – like most – cannot live up to his father Michael Schumacher’s billing with the German having won 91 Grand Prix on his way to seven World titles.
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Schumacher tried, winning the Formula 3 European Championship and the Formula 2 title before entering F1 with Haas in 2021. It was the dream promotion, both for the driver and F1 as the latter got to billboard as the son of a F1 legend.
But alas it fell short.
Whether it was Schumacher or Haas, the combination did not work with the German and his team failing to score a single point in his debut campaign, while his second was blighted by huge crashes, his team principal Guenther Steiner publicly criticising him, and his uncle Ralf defending him to the bitter end.
And it was a bitter end as Schumacher was reportedly informed on the eve of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix while sitting in a hotel lobby that Haas would not renew his contract.
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By then it was too late for the driver to secure a race seat for the 2023 championship and he settled for reserve driver role with Mercedes.
But despite his Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff talking him up, as too did Toro Rosso’s Franz Tost and even Red Bull’s quicker-to-criticise-than-compliment Helmut Marko, Schumacher missed out on a return for the 2024 season before being passed over by four teams; Mercedes, Alpine, Sauber and Williams, for 2025.
