F1 world champion makes seven-word claim about Mick Schumacher

Jacques Villeneuve has claimed that Mick Schumacher’s name is the only reason he’d be granted a return to F1. Mick, the son of legendary Ferrari driver Michael, is currently a reserve driver for Mercedes.

The 25-year-old is in his second season in the role, having been ditched by Haas at the end of the 2022 campaign. The German spent two years with the American constructor but failed to impress, picking up just 12 points in two years.

That is despite him excelling in junior formulas, including having won the F2 championship before making the jump to F1. Talk remains rife of Schumacher making a return to F1, with Alpine and future constructor, Audi, both mooted as possible destinations.

Villeneuve isn’t ruling out a return to the starting grid for Schumacher, although he doesn’t believe it would be solely down to his driving ability. Speaking to Instant Casino, the Canadian said: “If a team does employ Mick as an F1 driver, it’s because they want the Schumacher image and it’s in hope he’s better than he was at Haas. It’s a gamble that Audi might be willing to take.

The 53-year-old added: “It doesn’t seem like any team wants Mick Schumacher to drive for them. The push has been made by Mick and his team, but no one seems to be jumping to get him on their team.

“The problem is his years in F1 didn’t conclude in a positive way, he might be doing better and showing promise in the position he’s in, but the evidence is there for everyone to see. For teams, it’s worrisome, do they want to take the risk of hoping Mick is better than he was? It doesn’t look like it at the moment.”