Cadillac are within the means of recruiting drivers for his or her maiden System 1 season in 2026 with Mick Schumacher a type of who has held talks with the American outfit
Mick Schumacher is edging nearer to a System 1 return – however not in a race seat. The 26-year-old son of seven-time World champion Michael is determined to revive his F1 profession which led to 2022 after two seasons with minnows Haas.
He hung out as reserve at Mercedes after that however has since left F1 altogether to race with Alpine within the World Endurance Championship [WEC]. Schumacher has three podiums to his identify to this point and hopes to make use of it as a springboard again onto the F1 grid.
The German has held discussions with Cadillac, who will type F1’s eleventh workforce subsequent yr, a few potential deal. And it’s understood that these talks have progressed, although at this stage it’s unlikely that he will probably be given one of many two race seats on provide for 2026.
As a substitute, Schumacher is the front-runner to be named as Cadillac’s first reserve driver, as reported by The Race. He would like a race seat, however a reserve position continues to be believed to enchantment to Schumacher who needs to get his foot again within the door of the F1 paddock.
Skilled F1 race-winners Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are understood to be Cadillac’s most well-liked decisions for his or her race seats. They’re every in superior talks whereas some studies declare the latter, who has spent this yr away from F1 having been axed by Crimson Bull final December, is near agreeing a deal.
Each, nonetheless, have additionally held talks with bottom-feeders Alpine who’re contemplating their 2026 choices for a accomplice to Pierre Gasly. Franco Colapinto has but to attain a single level since changing Jack Doohan in Could, who additionally didn’t handle a high 10 end.
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Schumacher, the 2020 System 2 champion, raced 43 occasions for Haas however completed within the high 10 simply twice. He additionally suffered a number of massive and costly crashes which had been a monetary headache for F1’s smallest workforce and that, finally, led to then-team boss Guenther Steiner dropping him on the finish of 2022.
The consensus is that he has completed pretty nicely since making the swap to WEC, together with a Tenth-placed end on the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Schumacher appears more and more more likely to depart Alpine on the finish of this season and will swap to Cadillac’s Workforce Jota, one of many high groups in WEC, changing 2009 F1 champion Jenson Button.
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Whether or not or not the German does land a spot with Cadillac’s F1 venture stays to be seen. However former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has made clear his perception that the brand new workforce could be making a mistake in the event that they decide the German for one in every of their race seats.
The 1997 title winner stated: “Mick Schumacher had a tough time when he was at Haas. He has not an skilled driver both. There isn’t a motive to go for him.”
