Mick Schumacher on F1 exile: ‘It has been a draining few years

The duties of a reserve driver in Formula One are unique, distinctive and unlike most back-ups in other sports. With the chances of a last-minute call-up to the cockpit extremely unlikely, you lead a life in the shadows. Out of mind, but never fully out of sight. In Mick Schumacher’s case, he has been omnipresent in the F1 paddock for more than three years but, to his detectible discontent, the last 18 months have been without a race seat.

“Fighting your way back is exhausting,” Schumacher tells The Independent, in the familiar surroundings of the Mercedes motorhome.

You get this cake presented to you which is really good, but you’re not allowed to eat it. And you have to watch everybody else eat it. So it’s tough, for sure, but I know why I’m doing it.”

Being the son of a seven-time world champion carries its own unusual burden. But the German, still something of a racing novice at the age of 25, wholeheartedly believes he is yet to be given a fair crack of the whip.

His rookie year with Haas in 2021 was a write-off; superior to teammate Nikita Mazepin, not finishing last was an achievement in one of the worst-performing cars in F1 history. His second year was where it all went wrong, however, finishing 13 points behind the experienced Kevin Magnussen. But that wasn’t the issue; more so, the expensive crashes which resulted in Netflix star Guenther Steiner losing patience and wielding the axe.