Mick Schumacher’s final hopes of a Formula 1 return for 2025 were dashed with the recent announcement that Sauber would be signing Gabriel Bortoleto.
The German dropped off the grid at the end of the 2022 season when Haas decided to go in a new direction with their driver pairing and sign the experienced Nico Hulkenberg.
Haas do have an ‘exciting’ future ahead, but Schumacher’s has since gone in the other direction since they went their own ways.
With Alpine, Mercedes and now Sauber rejecting him for drives, even if he secures a seat for 2026, he will have been away for three years – so, has his career in the pinnacle of motorsport run its course?
Guenther Steiner says Mick Schumacher needs to emulate the ‘lucky’ Oliver Bearman
Another Haas driver to add to the mix over the last year has been Ferrari academy driver Oliver Bearman – one of their full-time drivers for 2025.
He broke the record for being the youngest Scuderia driver in history at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March, with Bearman replacing the injured Carlos Sainz due to his reserve driver role.
Speaking to Champ1 on YouTube, Guenther Steiner said that Schumacher who is a reserve for Mercedes, needs to emulate the sort of luck Bearman had to receive an opportunity.
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“I said it was going to be tight, I think if it doesn’t happen this year, I think it will be difficult. It’s just a long time away and now so many racers have come.
“I think he’s always, like I said before with Drugovich, when you’re there as a reserve driver, you always have the chance something should happen.
“But you have to be lucky, or one of the drivers has to be unlucky that he can’t drive, which I don’t wish. But it happens sometimes, Oliver Bearman had this. Was able to show what a Ferrari can do, and the ratings [of himself] went up.”
What does Mick Schumacher need to do if he wants a Formula 1 return?
While many believe that the ship has well and truly sailed for Schumacher, there is one way that he can revive his Formula 1 career but it requires quite a radical approach.
After spending a year learning the ropes of endurance racing with Alpine, he’s yet to prove to any potential suitors that he still has the required skill set to compete – but he’s only 25 years old.
The solution is to get back in a single-seater cockpit and prove that the Formula 2 and 3 champion credentials that he earned a few seasons ago have not faded.
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IndyCar would love to have a Schumacher from a marketing and entertainment standpoint, and it would show F1 teams that he is still a great option if he can perform.
There are seats at Rahal Letterman Lanigan (best available), Dale Coyne Racing and Juncos Hollinger Racing and time is ticking before the new season – giving one a call could save his Formula 1 career.
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