Toto Wolff has suggested that Mercedes could support Mick Schumacher in returning to the F1 grid in the way that they have done with Nyck de Vries. Schumacher will act as a reserve driver for the Silver Arrows in 2023 after being replaced at Haas by Nico Hulkenberg. Meanwhile, de Vries is set to make his full-time F1 debut with AlphaTauri, having previously been on reserve duties for Mercedes alongside his Formula E commitments. Wolff is confident that Schumacher can develop further during his time with the team, and as such be in a position to return to the field in the style of de Vries.
Wolff outlines hopes for Schumacher
"The most important factor is his personality," Wolff told media, including RacingNews365.com , when asked about what Schumacher can contribute in his role. "He's a well educated, intelligent and talented young man. You [can] see that his junior career track record was very good, and I believe if we can give him a safe environment to further develop, he can be a good racing driver in a permanent seat in the future. "In the same way we have let Nyck de Vries go in order for him to achieve a career, that could be something that could happen to Mick, whether it is in our team or letting him go somewhere else, we don't know at [this] stage."
How Schumacher can 'massively contribute' at Mercedes
For now, Wolff expects that Schumacher can play a key role at the team by contributing his knowledge from his two seasons in F1. "Where he will massively contribute is that he's driven the new [breed of F1] car for a year," Wolff explained. "[He] has been in Formula 1 for two years, knows the tyres, knows the difficulties in the car's DNA of the current Formula 1 generation of cars. "He will be super helpful in the simulator and in assessing the car overall. It will be good to have him on track in the debriefing room, and he's a credible young racing driver. "So, from that perspective, we have definitely gained with Mick joining the team."
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