Schumacher admits clinging to F1 dream 'too tightly'

Feb.17 (GMM) Mick Schumacher admits he may have “clung too tightly” to the idea that he may return to the Formula 1 grid.

After losing his Haas seat at the end of 2022, the German patiently served as Mercedes’ full-time reserve driver for two years.

For 2025, he has been replaced by Valtteri Bottas, with the now 25-year-old Schumacher to instead focus exclusively on his WEC racing career with Alpine.

“I decided at the age of 11 that I wanted to be in Formula 1,” the son of the great Michael Schumacher told Bild am Sonntag newspaper. “That is still my goal. F1 was and is my lifelong dream.

“I still have a score to settle with Formula 1 and want to prove myself there once again.”

However, he also openly admits that the time has come to move on.

“I realised that I clung too tightly to Plan A in the past,” said Schumacher. “I should also have thought about what Plan B and Plan C would look like.

“I have realised that now, and I’m happy about it.”

Schumacher added that he regards 2025 as “a chance of reorientation,” because it’s “good that I have some distance from Formula 1.”

Nonetheless, he continued: “Everyone who drives in Formula 1 has talent, there’s no question about it. But when I look at the grid, I have no doubt that I could keep up. I’m no worse than them.”

Schumacher concluded by insisting he was “wrongly labelled” as a crash-prone driver during his two years with Haas.