Mick Schumacher has admitted that one aspect of his first race weekend with Mercedes left him "shocked". The German joined the Silver Arrows as a reserve driver for 2023 after being left without a seat on the grid following his departure from Haas. While he may not be racing, Schumacher feels that he has already learned a lot in his new role. In a 'diary' shared by Mercedes, Schumacher reflected: "Since I joined Mercedes, I've been settling in great. "Everybody is just so open-minded towards me, and that made me feel welcome from the first moment I stepped into the factory in Brackley. I've spent a lot of time there in these first months. It's a very impressive facility."
Simulator work
One of the main features of Schumacher's position so far has been working in the simulator, a facility that he says has developed a lot since he visited the factory several years ago. "I visited it back in 2014 as a young driver and was even sneaking in the simulator then, but everything is a lot bigger now than it was then!" the 24-year-old said. "It is a state-of-the-art facility, very impressive in how things are structured and how every detail is thoughtfully taken care of. I'm still getting used to the level of preparation that you see here, and I am trying to soak up as much information as I can." Schumacher hopes that his time in the simulator has been a valuable resource for the squad. "My main focus up to now has been working in the simulator," he added. "Because I have raced a car under this new set of regulations, I have a good understanding of how to drive them. That has helped me in my role so far and hopefully added value for the team. "I will look to be an extra pair of eyes and resource to help with the development programme across the year."
Working with Hamilton and Russell
As well as being impressed by the factory, Schumacher has enjoyed working alongside team drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. "It's also been fascinating working with Lewis and George," the son of Michael Schumacher said. "It's an interesting period for me as I get to look over and work with two fantastic drivers, which you don't always get to do. "I've learned a lot about what's important in terms of approaching race weekends; I feel like I've already gained so much knowledge to add to my skillset. I didn't think I would have learned and gained so much so early into my role."
Shock of first race weekend
Schumacher's role means that he now spends a lot of time in the garage during race weekends, where he is often seen watching on alongside boss Toto Wolff. The former Haas driver admits that he was surprised by the amount of information exchanged at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. "As a driver, you usually do not get to hear what is going on between all the engineers while you are out on the track, so listening in during the sessions has been extremely interesting," Schumacher explained. "I was quite shocked at the season opener in Bahrain, I did not expect the sheer amount of exchange that happens. "You don't know what you're missing until you are actually part of it. What I really appreciate in working with those engineers is that they are genuinely listening to you and your opinion matters, and what is special from an emotional side is that many people who are working for the team now were working here when my dad was driving."
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