06 June 2023 , 17:12
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Mick Schumacher is performing the role of unsung hero at Mercedes, according to his uncle Ralf Schumacher.
Mick, the son of legendary Formula One driver Michael Schumacher, is the reserve driver for the Silver Arrows, behind Brits Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. The 24-year-old was snapped up by Mercedes after being dropped by Haas and has been working out of the spotlight for the manufacturer.
As well as being reserve and simulator driver, Mick is also required to give feedback to the engineers. He will be behind the wheel of Mercedes’ W14 car at a Barcelona test this week and will try to help the team close the gap to Red Bull after Max Verstappen maintained his dominance at the Spanish Grand Prix on the weekend.
“His work in the simulator was explicitly praised by Hamilton in Barcelona,” Ralf pointed out in a Sky Germany column. “I'm happy for Mick. He makes decisions with the engineers in the simulator for the development and coordination of the car, so Hamilton and Russell have to trust him.
“If that works, it is all the more beautiful because he then becomes an important part of the team and is also considered that way. Mick decides in which direction the car is developed and his feedback is enormously important for the team.”
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Mick has two years of full-time F1 experience under his belt but was dropped by Haas in favour of the more experienced Nico Hulkenberg. While he is focused on helping out his Mercedes team-mates, he is also eyeing a driver’s spot in the near future.
Lewis Hamilton finished second at the Spanish Grand Prix (Matthias Oesterle/REX/Shutterstock)“For him personally, this is very important for two reasons,” Ralf added. “On the one hand, he gets a confirmation between the simulator work and reality. For a driver, it is very important that you get a feeling in the car. And then, of course, he can also show that he can be fast in the car.
“People will look and you can certainly draw comparisons to the other drivers and teams.
"Mick can set an exclamation mark - even in a team. He can show that he can also implement what he does in the simulator on the track.”
A driver’s role does not seem to be on the cards any time soon for the young German. Mercedes chief Toto Wolff recently explained the situation for Schumacher.
"It's a difficult situation because [Mercedes] is closed, and I would wish for Mick to get a seat, and he deserves it,” Wolff said. “The situation in 2024 is unfavourable, in 2025 a few doors will open again, but we have to wait and see how things develop at Williams, so it's not easy.
"We have to be careful, because if we support Mick too much, then of course there are critics who would like to make things difficult who then come crawling out of the woodwork."