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Mick Schumacher’s Formula 1 dream is all but over, his uncle Ralf Schumacher saying it is “rather unrealistic” unless he takes a reserve driver role.
But even that isn’t a guarantee as Mercedes, where he has been the reserve driver since 2023, are expected to re-sign Valtteri Bottas after he and Sauber failed to agree terms for F1 2025.
Having spent two years away from the Formula 1 grid having been dropped by Haas at the end of the 2022 season, Schumacher had hoped to return next season with several teams said to be interested in the German.
One by one though, they signed other drivers with Jack Doohan joining Alpine, Kimi Antonelli taking the Mercedes seat and now Gabriel Bortoleto joining Sauber.
Schumacher is out of options, and even his reserve driver role at Mercedes is not guaranteed as the Brackley squad hinted on social media that the 10-time Grand Prix winner could return to the fold.
His uncle Ralf reckons the F1 dream is no longer realistic.
Formula 1 is a crazy business,” the former F1 driver turned pundit told Sky Deutschland. “The question is, who will be the substitute driver where? Or will he now concentrate on his long-distance career?
“Unfortunately, Formula 1 is rather unrealistic for Mick, unless someone drops out due to illness.”
The Sauber decision is the latest blow to the 25-year-old who learned that he’d missed out on the Alpine drive through a post on X that confirmed Doohan. But as Schumacher bounced back from that, Ralf says he will move past the Sauber decision.
Gabriel Bortoleto is ‘like Max Verstappen’ says Schumacher
As for Sauber’s new signing, the team has locked now-former McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto into a multi-year with the Brazilian one of five rookies confirmed for F1 2025.
Ralf supports the decision, likening the Formula 2 championship leader to a driver “like Max Verstappen” who is assertive on the track.
“I think it’s good that the team is going down a new path with a young driver who won Formula 3 and is currently leading Formula 2. That’s a similar level to Oscar Piastri,” he said.
“A driver has to assert himself and then not allow himself to make any mistakes, like Max Verstappen.
“With Sauber as a team, that’s not so easy either, as they currently have a very bad car. Rumour has it that a large part of the team was sold to Qatar for economic reasons. This is one of the reasons why it was ultimately Bortoleto.
“I think the combination of him as a young talent and the experienced Nico Hulkenberg is good.”
Bortoleto joins Doohan, Antonelli and Oliver Bearman on the 2025 grid with Liam Lawson also expected to race for either Red Bull or VCARB and with Franco Colapinto rumoured to be taking whichever seat is vacant after the Lawson decision.
Speaking to the media including PlanetF1.com after confirming Bortoleto, Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto was asked about why he’d chosen the McLaren junior instead of Schumacher.
“We had several talks, he was certainly a strong candidate,” he explained. “I know him very well from the past and I know his strengths and maybe his weaknesses as well, but certainly I think he would have been a good choice.
“I think there have been many candidates and Mick would have been certainly a good choice as well.
“Now sometimes you need to come to a decision. I think there is no reason why or blames for me, the reason simply goes we decided for Gabriel and that’s it. And I think that maybe we should ask the same of Toto: why Kimi and not Mick?
“I think at some time you need to come to a decision and you make to make a decision. So today, we made the decision to employ and to hire Gabriel and we are happy.”
