Schumacher’s original Ferrari Driver Academy contract will come to what one source called a ‘natural end’ after this season.
Although there has been no confirmation from Haas, it’s accepted in the paddock that Schumacher won’t be retained by the US-owned team for a third season in 2023, with Antonio Giovinazzi currently a favourite to land the seat alongside Kevin Magnussen.
The remaining open drives on the grid include Alpine and Williams, with Schumacher’s close friend Esteban Ocon backing him as a candidate for the former.
He has also been associated with an AlphaTauri seat, although Colton Herta has now emerged as a more likely candidate should a vacancy arise.
There is a possibility that Schumacher could lose out in the driver market shuffle in the coming days, potentially leaving Germany with no representative on the 2023 grid, unless Nico Hulkenberg is chosen by Alpine.
Schumacher first became associated with Ferrari at the start of 2019, when he was announced as a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, having won the previous year’s European F3 championship.
He thus joined a strong group that included Callum Ilott, Marcus Armstrong, Robert Shwartzman and Enzo Fittipaldi.
At the time, the team stressed that his father Michael’s connections with Ferrari were not the driving force behind the decision to take him, and that he’d earned FDA backing on merit.
Mick Schumacher, Haas F1 Team
Photo by: Erik Junius
Team principal Mattia Binotto commented: “For someone like me who has known him from birth, there’s no doubt that welcoming Mick into Ferrari has a special emotional meaning, but we have chosen him for his talent and the human and professional qualities that have already distinguished him despite his young age.”
He was given his first F1 test in the SF90 in Bahrain in April 2019, before having a second outing for Alfa Romeo the following day.
He raced with Ferrari support for the Prema F2 team in 2019 and 2020, winning the title in his second season.
In September he gained more F1 miles with the 2018 SF71H at Fiorano ahead of what was supposed to be his first FP1 run with Alfa Romeo at the Nurburgring.
However, bad weather meant that it didn’t happen. He finally had his first FP1 session with Haas in Abu Dhabi.
The Ferrari connection helped to propel him into a Haas seat in 2021, and after a frustrating season with an uncompetitive car he continued with the team this season.
An unfortunate run of accidents didn’t help his progress, but he scored his first points with eighth place at Silverstone, following up with a sixth place in Austria.
Schumacher was at one time touted as a potential works driver, but support for him within the camp has waned of late.
With Charles Leclerc and then more recently Carlos Sainz locked into long-term deals, it has become obvious that there is no race seat on the horizon for Schumacher at the works team.
In addition, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are established at Ferrari partner team Alfa Romeo, with the Chinese driver expected to be confirmed shortly for 2023. Under its current deal with Sauber, the title sponsor no longer has first claim on one of the seats for a Ferrari-affiliated driver.
Mercedes facing “difficult” situation over F1 car concept change for 2023
How F1 teams juggled Spa’s contrasting downforce demands
FIA considering Colton Herta’s F1 superlicence credentials
Aston Martin: Vettel still trying to help with 2023 F1 car
Hamilton’s first experience of turning silver into gold
Schumacher: People too quick to criticise in F1 these days
Vettel: No say in Schumacher as Aston F1 replacement
Why F1’s chess master isn’t worried by self-doubt
Wolff: Brutality of losing in F1 a world away from fluffy Instagram posts
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says the harsh reality of dealing with losing in Formula 1 is a world away from fluffy Instagram posts romanticising it will be character building.
New F1 DRS zone will make Zandvoort banking a “white knuckle” ride
Formula 1 drivers should brace themselves for a “white knuckle” ride through Zandvoort’s final banked corner when their DRS is open, reckon Dutch GP organisers.
FIA considering Colton Herta’s F1 superlicence credentials
The FIA is looking into whether there are grounds to grant IndyCar driver Colton Herta a Formula 1 superlicence amid speculation linking the American to AlphaTauri for next season.
Top 10 BRM F1 drivers ranked: Fangio, Stewart, Hill and more
BRM – or British Racing Motors – was Britain’s first Formula 1 team and one of the leading squads of the 1960s. Here are its best drivers across the squad’s history
The scale of the challenge facing Audi’s F1 assault
OPINION: Audi’s arrival in Formula 1 for 2026 was confirmed on the eve of the Belgian Grand Prix. It marks the series’ first new manufacturer of the hybrid era since Honda’s difficult return with McLaren in 2015. The might of Audi will surely make it a force in F1 in time, but the scale of the task ahead of it is massive
The myth and merit in Alonso’s Hamilton F1 racing claim at Spa
OPINION: Fernando Alonso was typically forthright in his immediate view of Lewis Hamilton’s driving in their crash at the start of the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix. But away from the spotlight pressure and team radio adrenaline, it’s worth assessing the accuracy of his claims in the context of Formula 1’s changing eras
Belgian Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2022
Formula 1 roared back into action after the summer break at the Belgian Grand Prix, where the grid was shaken up by engine penalties which created different opportunities for drivers to shine. While the sole top score can probably be predicted, there were plenty of other high marks at Spa
How Verstappen scored the best win of his F1 career at Spa
Nothing could deny Max Verstappen’s Spa surge as he charged to a ninth Formula 1 win of the season, while yet more bad luck and questionable calls mired Charles Leclerc. Here’s how the Red Bull driver dominated the Belgian Grand Prix.
The traditionalist F1 venue stuck in a philosophical row
With the future of Spa as a grand prix venue in doubt, Ben Edwards admits not everyone will be disappointed if it is dropped from the calendar
Which teams adapted best to F1’s new 2022 rules?
As F1 moves into the second half of the 2022 season, PAT SYMONDS analyses which teams have so far performed well under the championship’s new technical regulations
Why Verstappen has the upper hand for Spa’s recovery race
Formula 1 title rivals Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc both face a battle to recover from the rear of the grid after engine penalties. But it appears the championship leader is in the box seat on pace to salvage the most from a potentially tricky Belgian Grand Prix
How Formula 1’s Audi coup has been realised
Formula 1 has pulled off a major coup in encouraging Audi to join the series as an engine manufacturer from the 2026 season. It speaks to the surge in popularity F1 is enjoying. This is how it came to pass and how the famous German marque will tackle its new challenge
