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F1. As rumors about the second driver at Audi for 2025 continue to circulate, one name has been removed from the list of potential options by Mattia Binotto: Mick Schumacher. The German driver has probably said goodbye to his hopes of returning to Formula 1.
It’s a tough news that the German-Swiss driver will take time to recover from. The former Haas driver never hid his desire to return to Formula 1 if an opportunity arose. However, the doors have gradually closed in front of him, and it now seems that the German driver will continue his career in the endurance championship rather than in Formula 1.
A few weeks ago, Mick Schumacher, Formula 2 world champion in 2020, had a test for Alpine. According to Toto Wolff, head of Mercedes, this test proved to be conclusive, with the German showing a similar pace to Jack Doohan, a reserve driver for the Enstone-based team. Shortly after, Schumacher took part in Pirelli tests driving the McLaren MCL38 at Silverstone. These test sessions reignited speculation about a possible return to Formula 1 for Schumacher. However, since then, other teams seem to have forgotten about him. Alpine, which had given him the opportunity to test their car, eventually decided to turn to Jack Doohan. As for Mercedes, the team for which Schumacher was a reserve driver, they chose to bet on their young prospect, Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
An opportunity had recently arisen when Williams decided to part ways with Logan Sargeant at the Dutch Grand Prix. Among the names mentioned as potential replacements was Schumacher’s, but the Grove team ultimately chose to give a chance to Franco Colapinto, a member of their academy. Audi, long considered the last option for the German driver, no longer seems to be a possibility, according to information reported by the German media Bild.
READ MORE:Mick Schumacher: umpteenth (and final) rejection of his return
Schumacher is no longer in Audi’s plans.
According to this report, Mattia Binotto, the new director of operations and technical director of Sauber, the future Audi team in 2026, would not be interested in Schumacher. The former Ferrari director would indeed have given up on Mick Schumacher. A tough decision for the 25-year-old driver, who said he was still optimistic last week about his chances of returning to Formula 1, during an interview with Sky Deutschland.
« A decision will be made in September. So we will see what happens. If plan A does not work, we will have to deal with the situation and activate plan B. For now, I still don’t know where this will lead me. Formula 1 remains the main objective, and has always been the case. That’s why all other options must be put on hold for now. »
Schumacher hoped that his podium finish at the 6 Hours of Fuji would boost his chances of landing a seat for next season, but it seems that the German manufacturer is not counting on him. Audi would prefer to focus on drivers closer to the Formula 1 paddock, such as those from Formula 2. According to several media reports, Audi is expected to extend Valtteri Bottas’ contract until 2025, before signing Gabriel Bortoleto, the current leader of the Formula 2 championship, in 2026, alongside Nico Hülkenberg, who has already signed a multi-year contract with Sauber. Therefore, Mick Schumacher’s future in single-seaters seems to be unfolding far from the Formula 1 paddocks.
