Mick Schumacher to Leave Formula 1 After Failing Toto Wolff's Test Mission with Mercedes

Valtteri Bottas Will Take His Seat

Mick Schumacher’s Formula 1 career is all but over, a victim of both the family curse and a grand plan by Toto Wolff to inject a bit of old magic back into Mercedes.

From the beginning of this present Formula 1 season, the consensus was that Mick Schumacher, after two lackluster seasons with the Haas F1 team, needed to impress this season if he wanted to stay on the grid.

At the start of the season, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner said: “Mick has to deliver. Mick knows that, and we know that. He has to score points and he has to deliver.”

Schumacher started the season with a points finish in Bahrain and then added another in Imola, but points were few and far between after that. At the halfway point in the season, he had scored 12 points compared to teammate Kevin Magnussen’s 22.

Mercedes and Schumacher: A Short-Lived Rumor

In recent weeks, rumors had begun to circulate that Schumacher was on Mercedes’ radar as a potential replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who is out of contract at the end of the season. Another name in that mix was Valtteri Bottas, the former Mercedes driver and current Alfa RomeoORLEN driver.

In the end, it was Bottas that Toto Wolff chose. Citing Bottas’ experience and development work on the simulator, it was clear that Wolff was looking at Bottas to provide some guidance for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who has had a difficult time adjusting to the car this season.

The Schumacher Curse

Many are saying that Mick Schumacher’s misfortune is simply a case of the “Schumacher curse.” His father, Michael Schumacher, won seven world championships – more than any other driver in the history of the sport – but his career also was cut short by injury.

Mick Schumacher has faced similar challenges to his father, including a serious crash at the Jeddah Grand Prix in 2022. He has also been criticized for his lack of pace and consistency.

It is still possible that Mick Schumacher could return to Formula 1 in the future, but it is clear that his career is at a crossroads. He will need to find a new team and a new car that will allow him to show his true potential.