With options running out for 2023, would a potential switch to Williams be a shrewd career move for Mick Schumacher?
With speculation rife that IndyCar hotshot Colton Herta is set to move into Formula 1 next year with AlphaTauri – allowing Pierre Gasly to move to Alpine – the options for Mick Schumacher are beginning to run out. Plus reports suggest he will leave the Ferrari system – and therefore Haas – at the end of this season.
Haas boss Guenther Steiner has been coy on rumors that Schumacher will be leaving the Kannapolis, NC outfit, with Schumacher apparently choosing not to renew his contract with Ferrari, who supply power units to Haas. Should Schumacher be heading out of the door, the likelihood of a seat elsewhere diminishing, and whilst competition for the second seat at Williams is very strong, Schumacher may be the best fit.
The Contenders
Nicholas Latifi
Like countryman Lance Stroll before him, Latifi’s biggest plus point is the money he would bring money to Williams. But the Canadian brings little else. Struggling to match team-mate Alex Albon, Latifi has not yet signed a deal with Williams for ’23. His chances of being on the grid next year look precarious.
Daniel Ricciardo
Ricciardo might be the mirror opposite of Latifi: very talented, but expensive. With the Aussie’s exit from McLaren confirmed, it appears as if either Williams or replacing Schumacher at Haas would be his only options. But would his wage demands price him out of a seat?
Logan Sargeant
Currently 3rd in the F2 Championship, and a product of the Williams Driver Academy, Sargeant seems like a logical choice. As an American, Sargeant’s inclusion would please the suits in charge of F1 with their wish to appeal to the US market. However with no F1 race experience and lacking the sort of money that Latifi brings, Sargeant’s time might not come just yet.
Nyck de Vries
Now 27-years-old, de Vries might just have waited just about enough for a shot at F1. The Dutchman is currently under contract with Mercedes as their Reserve Driver and also won the Formula E World Championship with the Silver Arrows in 2021. De Vries has taken part in two Friday Practice sessions this season – one with Mercedes and one with Williams, plus one upcoming with Aston Martin at Monza. It would be a sensible choice for all parties, as Mercedes may very well farm out de Vries to gain race experience, and would likely cover their man’s wage bill.
Schumacher’s Pulling Power
If Schumacher becomes ‘chain-free’ from Ferrari, his appeal may attract Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff. The Austrian is not only one of the most powerful figures in Formula 1 right now but he has previously spoken highly of Mick, as well as his father, Michael, to whom he credits much of Mercedes’ success since 2014. It is undeniable that the Schumacher name carries a lot of positive weight, and the team could possibly be keen to evaluate Mick as a long-term successor to Sir Lewis Hamilton, the man who replaced Michael.
It is likely that Hamilton will remain in F1 for some time, but it would be prudent of Mercedes to plan for their future. If Schumacher was to develop with a team like Williams, then a pairing of Mick and George Russell may yield the next generation of silver success.
