Michael Schumacher’s son’s F1 career could be over as one team mulls over his future in the sport.
Mick Schumacher, whose father is legendary seven-time F1 champion driver Michael, has seen his career stall after being released by Haas in 2022.
Since then, he has tried several roles, including serving as a Mercedes reserve driver in order to prove his worth, but has struggled to find a regular seat.
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But with Sauber officially rebranding as Audi for the 2026 season, it is thought that this could provide an opportunity for Schumacher as the team have already began building their driver lineup ahead of the change.
Nico Hulkenberg has already penned a multi-year deal with the team but, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz opting to join Williams despite links to Audi, the door remains open for Schumacher.
Speaking about the situation, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko told Sport.de, via The Sun: "I think the Formula One story is really over for Schumacher if he doesn't get that Audi seat. Then, he has to concentrate on the long-distance races in the WEC, where he was already very successful. If he wants to stay in motorsport, he has to find something that he likes, but where he also has a chance to win.
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“I think Audi's car will definitely not be a winning car next year. That means there will be no pressure for Audi or its drivers. It would be a good comparison with Nico Hulkenberg. If the performance is not right, you can always replace him for 2026.
“If the situation is really that Valtteri Bottas gets the chance, then the whole thing is even more incomprehensible to me,” the Austrian added.
Schumacher gave his own take on the situation but did not want to confirm any such move at the moment.
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“Time will tell,” he explained to German newspaper BILD.
“Time is of the essence at the moment. There is nothing to say at the moment.”
"I don't want to say how the chances are or how it looks. In the end, time will give us the answer,” said Schumacher.
The Swiss-born driver has impressed in other driving formats, such as the World Endurance Championship. And he is a former F2 and F3 champion.
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"I think I will deal with it when time comes and plan A doesn’t work out. We will just believe that plan A works. We try our best to make it work, but plan B has to be in the back of my mind - I don't know where it's going right now,” he added.
Topics: Formula 1, Michael Schumacher, Haas F1 Team, Helmut Marko
Luke Alfred Davies