Toto Wolff says Mick Schumacher’s new role as Mercedes reserve driver could help him get back on the grid in 2024 – a chance the young German “deserves”, according to the Silver Arrows boss.
Schumacher, 23, spent two years racing with Haas, but left the team at the end of the season when they opted to sign fellow German Nico Hulkenberg for next year.
READ MORE: Mick Schumacher to join Mercedes as reserve driver for 2023
On Thursday, Mercedes confirmed Schumacher would be joining them as a reserve driver – a move Wolff says is a chance for the 2020 Formula 2 champ to “reassess” himself.
Speaking before the announcement on F1’s Beyond The Grid podcast, Wolff said: “I really like Mick and I like the family – how they have raised their kids with this unbelievably famous name – and I think he deserves a chance.
“He won [the Formula 2 title] and that is not easy. Things can go against you in your first years in Formula 1. He was under pressure to deliver and that doesn’t help, and Formula 1 is brutal. Maybe, in a way, having a year off as a third driver – similar to what Daniel [Ricciardo is doing with Red Bull] – can be good to reassess yourself and bring yourself in a better place and hopefully find a seat again.”