Alpine confirms Schumacher talks as hopes of 2024 F1 seat fade

Alpine Interim Team Principal Bruno Famin has confirmed that the team is in discussion with Mick Schumacher over a potential World Endurance Championship drive.

After losing his Haas race seat at the end of 2022, Schumacher joined Mercedes as third driver to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

He took on simulator duties after Nyck de Vries joined AlphTauri, and drove the W14 during the post-Barcelona test for the first time.

Toto Wolff believes the 2020 Formula 2 champion deserves a return to a Grand Prix seat, but faces a lack of options for 2024.

Aside from the two seats at AlphaTauri which will be filled by a combination of Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo or Liam Lawson, the other seat available is at Williams with Logan Sargeant's future uncertain.

With this in mind, Schumacher has been exploring potential options away from Grand Prix racing, with a solution potentially coming through Alpine's WEC assault.

Schumacher and Sargeant

"It's true that we are talking with Mick about the possibility to race in our endurance programme with the A424," interim Team Principal Famin told media including RacingNews365.

"It would be a good opportunity for both parties.

"For the time being, we are just talking and hopefully we will organise a test soon."

As for the potential vacancy on the grid at Williams for 2024, Team Principal James Vowles has urged Sargeant to step up and make the seat his own with Felipe Drugvovich and Lawson - should he miss out on the AlphTauri seat - other potential options if Sargeant loses his seat.

"Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport, it's a fierce competition, it's a meritocracy. You have to earn your place there," Vowles explained to media including RacingNews365 at the Dutch GP.

"He has to keep developing and moving forward. It needs improvements on consistency, which I’ve said throughout the season. The gap to Alex[ander Albon] needs to remain the same and shrink over time.

"f we take a step back, we've put Logan in a situation where he came straight out of F2, had a day and a half of testing… Good luck, you’re a Formula 1 driver.

"When I reflect on this year, this is probably more difficult than any other year I’ve been in the sport for throwing someone in at the deep end and allowing them the time to catch-up. We didn’t do any running in previous Williams cars, that was it. His time here is his time here.

"There’s elements where he keeps growing and finding performance and improvements, and performance under pressure. That’s what we’re looking for. The rate of learning has to increase now.

"He’s aware of all of that, and I think he has a huge maturity beyond his years. He knows that in front of him is a career and a journey that’s within his power to control.

"Our job is to support him on that journey rather than punish him."