Ralf Schumacher gives in: “Unfortunately, Formula 1 is unrealistic for Mick”. The door to F1 seems to have closed for Mick Schumacher.

The door to F1 seems to have closed for Mick Schumacher. Both Alpine and Audi have chosen other drivers, making it almost impossible to envision a future in the top category for the second-generation driver.

Mick Schumacher debuted in F1 with Haas in 2021, where he competed for two seasons. However, at the end of 2022, the American team deemed his performances insufficient and decided to replace him with Nico Hulkenberg. Over the last two years, the young German has split his time between being a reserve driver for Mercedes and an official Alpine driver in the WEC championship. His goal, however, was to return permanently to F1, but after recent rejections, his chances of achieving that have dwindled significantly.

Ralf Schumacher’s Admission
Speaking on Sky Deutschland, Ralf Schumacher acknowledged that F1 is now a distant prospect for the former Ferrari junior. The young German was in contention for a seat with Alpine and Audi for next year, but the two teams chose Jack Doohan and Gabriel Bortoleto, respectively.

“Unfortunately, Formula 1 is rather unrealistic for Mick unless someone retires due to illness,” Ralf Schumacher stated.

“Mick has faced a lot lately. Among other things, he found out from a post by Alpine that he wouldn’t be selected. He’s certainly disappointed, but he can accept the decision.”

Gabriel Bortoleto a Great Choice
In his analysis on Sky, Ralf Schumacher expressed his approval of Audi’s choice of Gabriel Bortoleto: “I think it’s positive that the team is taking a new path with a young driver who won F3 and is currently leading in F2. It’s a level similar to that of Oscar Piastri. It won’t be easy with Sauber, as they currently have a poor car. It’s said that a large part of the team has been sold to Qatar for financial reasons. However, I believe that the combination of him, as a young talent, and the experienced Nico Hulkenberg is a good one,” Ralf Schumacher concluded.