16 February 2023 , 13:02
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Mick Schumacher claimed he has already been subjected to "interest" from Formula 1 teams as he assesses his racing options for the 2024 season.
He has two years of F1 experience under his belt with Haas. However, a series of expensive crashes and a lack of points scored during that time left the American unconvinced that the young German was the correct option for them.
So they replaced him with the more experienced Nico Hulkenberg, leaving Schumacher without a race seat for this year. He is spending the season as a reserve for Mercedes so he can stay close to the sport and hopefully return to the grid at the earliest opportunity.
He was speaking after the team launched their latest F1 car when he gave an update on his future. He told reporters: "There's obviously no guarantee, but I'm in a comfortable position where I feel I can learn, I can extract the maximum from this year even though I'm not driving.
"But with the results I've shown in the junior categories, but also in F1, I'm sure there will be opportunities. Over the winter a few people have already mentioned that there is interest, so in that sense I'm not too worried."
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Schumacher is unlikely to get the opportunity to drive the W14 this year. With such little testing time on offer before the start of the season, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell need all the time behind the wheel that they can get.
Schumacher will be reserve to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell this year (Getty Images)Plus, as he already has plenty of F1 experience, Schumacher does not meet the requirements of the rule which forces teams to put young drivers in the car for at least two FP1 sessions per season. He will only race if either Hamilton or Russell are forced to miss out, for any reason.
Despite the slim chance of him getting behind the wheel, the 23-year-old still plans to "take a very similar approach" to how he prepares for a Grand Prix weekend. "I will be going into the weekend thinking as if I was going to race, to keep myself sharp," he added.
"But also, because it is a very different year, I will try and see what I can learn from it, take away from this experience, and be as much of a help to the team as I can be. Partly because I have the experience of driving, but also, I have the mentality that I know how it is to approach a weekend. I will for sure keep the same approach and keep the excitement at a high."