Mick Schumacher isn’t giving up on Formula 1, even as he finds himself fully immersed in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Alpine. The son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher still harbors hopes of returning to the pinnacle of motorsport—despite being overlooked for a 2025 seat.
Once seen as a rising star in F1, Schumacher’s trajectory was derailed after two difficult seasons with Haas (2021-2022), a team that struggled for competitiveness. And while several key driver spots opened for 2025, Schumacher was snubbed by every team, even missing out on a potential return with Alpine, where he now races in endurance racing.
Schumacher’s Painful F1 Exit: Wrong Place, Wrong Time?
Mick Schumacher’s Formula 1 career never had a fairytale moment. He entered the grid with high expectations in 2021 after winning the Formula 2 championship, but Haas, at the time, was far from a competitive force.
By 2022, when the team finally improved, Schumacher was already under immense pressure to deliver. A series of costly crashes, combined with his inability to consistently outperform teammate Kevin Magnussen, led to Haas dropping him—a decision that effectively put his F1 future in jeopardy.
Many have labeled Schumacher’s exit as a case of “right place, wrong time.”
Despite serving as Mercedes’ reserve driver in 2024, Schumacher was ultimately passed over for a seat at Brackley following Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari. Even Alpine, where he now competes in Le Mans, chose not to offer him an F1 return.
“My Dream Still Lives On”—Schumacher on His Desire to Return
Although his immediate focus is now on sports car racing, Schumacher made it clear that his F1 ambitions remain alive.
“My dream is my dream,” Schumacher admitted.
“When I’m in the car, I’m 100 percent there. That means that when I’m in the WEC environment and racing, my thoughts are 100 percent there. But when I have free time, the dream lives on.”
However, the German also acknowledged that his first year in endurance racing wasn’t smooth sailing.
“It was obviously a very tough year,” Schumacher admitted.
“We had quite a few weekends back to back, going from one race to the next. Even if you could say that the reserve driver doesn’t do that much—it’s still long days. I was already relatively tired at the end of the year.”
Will Schumacher Ever Get Another Shot at F1?
The brutal reality is that Schumacher’s F1 window is closing fast. With younger, highly-rated prospects flooding the driver market, teams are looking for fresh talent rather than giving second chances to former drivers.
However, his last name still carries weight, and if he can prove himself in endurance racing, there’s always a possibility of a return through the back door—much like Nico Hülkenberg’s unexpected comeback in 2023.
For now, though, Schumacher will have to make the most of his time in WEC and hope that fate gives him one last shot at redemption in Formula 1.
