Mick Schumacher lost his seat at Haas to Nico Hulkenberg and will now be the reserve driver for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, a seat which opened up after Nyck de Vries joined AlphaTauri; Toto Wolff: "Mick is a talented young driver and we're delighted to have him join the team."
Thursday 15 December 2022 15:35, UK
Mick Schumacher has joined Mercedes as their reserve driver for the 2023 season, the team have announced.
Schumacher, the son of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael, became a 2023 free agent after losing his Haas seat to Nico Hulkenberg but will now be the backup to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Daniel Riccardo was linked with the position, but he returned to Red Bull as their third driver, paving the way for the 23-year-old to join Mercedes. Schumacher's father spent his final three seasons as an F1 driver with Mercedes.
Mercedes' announcement came less than an hour after Ferrari confirmed they had parted ways with Schumacher, who was previously part of their driver academy and impressed through the ranks into F1.
They say Schumacher "will play an important role in the ongoing development of the W14", next season's car, while team boss Toto Wolff believes he will be "ready to step into the car at short notice should that need arise".
"I am thrilled to be part of the Mercedes team and I am committed to give it my all to contribute to their performance in this very competitive and professional environment," added Schumacher.
"I take this as a new start, and I am just excited and grateful to Toto and everybody involved for putting their trust in me.
"F1 is such a fascinating world, and you never stop learning, so I look forward to absorbing more knowledge and putting in all my efforts for the benefit of the Mercedes team."
Wolff said: "Mick is a talented young driver and we're delighted to have him join the team.
"He is a hard worker, has a calm and methodical approach and is still hungry to learn and improve as a driver. These are all important qualities, and we're excited for him to help us develop the W14.
"We also know that with two years of experience racing in Formula 1 under his belt, he will be ready to step into the car at short notice to replace either Lewis or George, should that need arise. "
Schumacher replaces Nyck de Vries in the role, with the Dutchman taking a full-time seat at AlphaTauri.
Schumacher joined Ferrari's academy in 2019, leading to hopes that he could follow in the footsteps of his father by driving for the Italian team. But he has ended his association with the Italians.
After failing to score a point in a very slow Haas car in his debut campaign, Schumacher showed signs of improvement in 2022, finishing eighth and sixth in back-to-back races at Silverstone and the Austrian Grand Prix.
However, he was unable to add to that tally, and was outscored by team-mate Kevin Magnussen by 13 points.
