Mick Schumacher returns to F1 testing as team chase his services for 2025 season

Mick Schumacher was back on Formula 1 duties in the Mercedes, albeit in a session cut short, as part of a Pirelli test outing at Magny-Cours.

After being let go by Haas at the conclusion of F1 2022, Schumacher has since served as the Mercedes reserve driver and, for 2024, linked up with Alpine and their World Endurance Championship campaign. The team are attempting to retain his services for 2025 with Formula 1 opportunities having dried up.

Mick Schumacher Mercedes Pirelli test outing cut short

With Schumacher reportedly falling off the radar of new Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto for a Sauber F1 2025 drive, Schumacher would be out of options for a comeback next season, boosting Alpine’s hopes, though he did get the chance to sample F1 machinery at Magny-Cours on Tuesday, where he drove the current Mercedes W15 as part of Pirelli’s F1 2025 tyre testing.

However, this wet-tyre test would prove to be too wet, as after 29 laps and a 1:39.172 benchmark, the track became too soaked and Schumacher’s run was brought to a close, the German racer handing over the Mercedes to one-half of their F1 2024 driver line-up George Russell for Wednesday’s uninterrupted action.

And looking ahead to the next racing season, Signatech Alpine team principal Philippe Sinault has waxed lyrical about the 25-year-old Schumacher with the French outfit desperate to keep him in their line-up.

Schumacher, alongside team-mates Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxiviere, scored his and Alpine’s first World Endurance Championship hypercar class podium last time out at Fuji.

“It’s difficult to say. I hope [he stays],” said Sinault when speaking to Motorsport.com .

“We push and we say to him immediately that for us it’s a really really key point that he must stay with us.

“But nothing [is] in my hand. Formula 1 is still Formula 1. We have to wait again. I hope in the short term we have some news about that.

“I think we did a good job together. I’m so happy about his level of performance, his pace, his commitment, I think he is quite happy about the job also.

“If he is not in F1, we are closer to continue to work together.”

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But, with Schumacher not yet officially out of the running for Sauber/Audi F1, Alpine’s hopes of keeping him are directly linked to how this situation resolves itself.

Asked what Alpine can do to convince Schumacher, motorsport boss Bruno Famin replied: “To be better. It’s not only what the team can do, it’s [about his personal choice].

“We all know that Mick’s number one priority would be if he had the possibility [to return to F1], but we know that there is only one [seat] left to have the opportunity to go back to Formula 1.

“Let’s see what we do, what will be the final decision. From our side we will be happy [if he stays].”

In the F1 2024 Constructors’ standings , Alpine sit P9 with 13 points on the board.

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