Having been swopped up by Mercedes as a reserve driver for the 2023 season, Mick Schumacher has returned to the track with Mercedes’ 2023 challenger, the W14. The 24-year-old completed 152 laps of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on the second day of the Pirelli Tyre Test.
Although the main focus of the outing was to preform tests on next year’s Pirelli compounds, the reserve driver also got his first taste of F1 machinery since leaving the sport at the end of 2022.
Following the test, Mercedes’ reserve driver said: “This experience will definitely benefit me in my role. I have a better understanding of what to look out for and what to work on.
“I also have a better understanding of all the procedures and how the Team works trackside. That would be a key factor in case I ever have to jump in and race.”
Whilst the former Formula 2 driver has been present at most races this season, he never got the chance to actually step into the W14 and drive it until today.
Comparing it to the simulator, the German said: “There is obviously a difference between the simulator and driving in the real world.
“There will always be a difference as the technology is not at a point where you can compare it 100%.
“However, it is the closest experience I’ve had between a simulator and real life. The simulator has prepared me, and the Team has made a great effort of correlating it.
“That helped me to know what to expect when driving it. It’s clear why this Team is an eight-time World Champion.”
With a return to the Formula 1 grid wanted by his legion of fans, Schumacher has denied any complacency in attempting to get a full-time role for the 2024 season, and he even hinted that some teams where ‘interested in his service’ at the W14 car launch earlier this year.
