Lewis Hamilton and George Russell need means Schumacher can't drive Mercedes car

08 February 2023 , 20:36

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Mick Schumacher probably won't be spotted driving an F1 car on track this year (Image: Getty Images)

Mick Schumacher will not have the chance to get behind the wheel of a Mercedes Formula 1 car before the new season starts.

The German racer has joined the Silver Arrows as a reserve driver. He will hope the role can be a springboard he can use to get back onto the grid, having lost his place after just two seasons with Haas.

While he waits to see what opportunities arise, his focus must be fully upon helping Mercedes with their car development. He might also get the chance to race for the team this year, if either Lewis Hamilton or George Russell were forced to miss out on the action for any reason.

Other than that, his opportunities to drive the car will be very much limited. He has completed a seat fit in case he is needed, but it seems unlikely unless one of the aforementioned drivers is absent.

F1 rules force teams to put young drivers behind the wheel of their cars in at least two practice sessions per season. However, because Schumacher already has two years of experience in the sport under his belt, he does not fit that criteria.

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Mercedes plan to show off the livery of the W14 on February 15, and will take the car out on track at Silverstone for a 100km shakedown that same day. A week later, they and their rivals will all be in Bahrain about to begin three days of pre-season testing.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton need to get used to their new Mercedes W14 car as quickly as they can (Getty Images)

But because time on track is so limited, Hamilton and Russell need to use as much of it as they can to get to grips with their new car. Because of that need, Schumacher will not get the chance to get in a few laps himself.

Instead, the German will be spending a lot of time this year in the team's simulator at their Brackley base. His testing will help to inform the team of the direction their development should take, while also helping Hamilton and Russell with their set-ups each weekend.

The only way he will get out on track for real, other than as a stand-in, would be if Mercedes were to set up a specific test for him in an older car. But, as it stands, no such event is in the pipeline.

Daniel Moxon