Mick Schumacher’s first race out of F1: “I’m not okay with not being in the car”
The ꦿex-Haas driver lost his full-time seat so is Mercedes’ third driver this season, and cut a frustrated figure in the paddock at the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix.
He was forced to watch on as his new team slumped to wh෴at team principal Toto Wolff called his “wo👍rst day in racing”.
Schumacher reflected: "I've been sat on this stool there with my hands and my arms and just felt like the day was never going to end becau൩se I just wanted to jump into the car.
"But it'🐲s also another factor which proves to me and to myself that I really, rea🤡lly want this – and it shows that I'm not okay with not being in the car. I don't know what the future brings.
"It's diffi꧑cult to say. I feel very much at home at Mercedes, and therefore definit▨ely have to see what options I have for the upcoming season.
“But also, I guess, a lot of that will be kind of shown as the year💃 goes by."
Schumacher spoke about his transition as a full-time Haas driver to a Mercedes third driver: "It definitely feels great for me because I've come from a car, obviously, which has been quite difficult to drive and🌊 jump into a simulator which is pretty accurate and pretty close to, I would say, reality.
"It has been really good tꦅo have that feeling to be also able to try out a few different things in 😼the simulator. From what the drivers say, it's really not too far away."
Schumacher is still only 23 and has plenty of time to return to the grid on a full-time basis, even if his ambition of a comebacꦰk in 2024 must be pushed back.
Nyck de Vries🐼 was Mercedes’ third🌜 driver last season and he earned an AlphaTauri drive.
In the ꦐmeantime, Schumacher’s role in the simulator for Mercedes could intensify as the team re-think the concept to their W14.
Jam👍es was a sports journalis꧑t at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
