Just six weeks after being snapped up as Mercedes’ new reserve driver, Mick Schumacher finds himself playing the part of backup for two teams for the forthcoming season of Formula 1.
The 23-year-old—who was dropped from his race seat at Haas in favor of Nico Hulkenberg at the end of the last campaign—will also fulfill a reserve role for McLaren as part of the team’s “arrangement with Mercedes,” which includes, among other things, an engine supply deal.
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Schumacher will share his responsibilities at McLaren with 2021 IndyCar champion Alex Palou, who joined the team’s reserve driver lineup in December following a practice outing with the Woking team ahead of the US Grand Prix at COTA. However, the Spaniard is only available to the team on weekends where F1 doesn’t clash with IndyCar, hence the need for an alternative option.
Schumacher has made no secret of his desire to get back on the F1 grid, of course, and this extra role is another door that could open to him in the future.
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Remember when Nyck de Vries replaced Nicholas Latifi at short notice at the Italian Grand Prix last year? He impressed so much that he landed a drive at AlphaTauri for 2023. That’ll give Schumacher all the hope he needs.
It’s not clear what would happen should Mercedes and McLaren need Schumacher’s services on the same weekend. Rock, paper, scissors, maybe?
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
