Mick Schumacher ‘not ready to let go of F1 dream’ despite ‘exhausting’ fight

Mick Schumacher admits fighting to return to the F1 grid is “exhausting” but insists he is “not ready to let go” of his dream.

Schumacher, the son of legendary seven-time world champion Michael, has not raced in F1 since he lost his Haas seat at the end of the 2022 season - his sophomore campaign in grand prix racing.

The 25-year-old has spent the past two years as a reserve driver for Mercedes but remains determined to seal a full-time return to F1.

“Fighting your way back is exhausting,” Schumacher told 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.”

Schumacher has found himself linked as a possible candidate to replace Esteban Ocon at Alpine next season, given he drives for the French manufacturer in the World Endurance Championship.

“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?”

And the German is convinced he can prove his F1 doubters, including former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, wrong.

“There’s a lot which hasn’t been seen yet, especially from a driving point of view,” Schumacher continued.

“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.”