Cadillac F1 team principal Graeme Lowdon revealed that Mick Schumacher, former Formula 1 driver for Haas, was in conversation with the team during the Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone earlier last week. He has been rumored to be one of the picks for the future Formula 1 team. This statement further strengthens the same.
Schumacher raced in F1 for two seasons with the American team. However, he seemingly did not have the opportunity to showcase his true skill set. He was paired with another rookie driver Nikita Mazepin in 2021. The two had an extremely slow and underperforming car and were the backmarkers for a long time. In 2022, he did manage to score points on two separate occasions with Kevin Magnussen as his teammate. However, the team did not extend his contract.
He then served seasons behind the scenes with Mercedes as their reserve driver. This was shortly before Alpine signed him as their driver for the World Endurance Championship. He has been rather decent over there, but he now might have a chance to return to Formula 1.
Cadillac, who is set to join the F1 grid in 2026 as the 11th team, is still looking for drivers. Mick Schumacher was thought to be one of the front runners for the seat, and the team candidly confirmed the same at Silverstone earlier.
“There are a lot of good drivers available—a mix of experienced drivers and new, up-and-coming drivers from Formula 2. I think we’ll see some movement in the driver market soon,” Cadillac team principal Lowdon said (via LWOS)
“Mick is great. He’s a very nice guy, I like him a lot. I’ve gotten to know him better now. He’s still young, but he already has Formula 1 experience.”
“He’s also done tests and is showing great interest in the project. We really like that. We like that a lot,” he added.
Who are some of the other frontrunners for the Cadillac seat with Mick Schumacher?
Cadillac has paved the way for many former F1 drivers to get back on the track. It would be best for the team to have at least one experienced and consistent driver during their initial years. There is a possibility that they might not be challenging for wins or top finishes because of their lack of experience. But, an experienced driver could bring a change to their performance.
Considering this, the team has the golden option to hire Valtteri Bottas. He drove for Mercedes between 2017 and 2021, clinching multiple victories, and was a strong second driver. At the same time, he has spent enough time behind the scenes with teams to make strong suggestions to Cadillac. Pairing him with Mick Schumacher could play the trick for the American team.
Sergio Perez is also a strong candidate. He has driven with multiple teams for over a decade in the sport and has always been a strong driver. His years with Red Bull were his career peak. Currently, without a role with any team, he could make a comeback with the team.
Other drivers like Zhou Guanyu have also been considered as candidates for the seat. However, the team hasn’t confirmed any reports. Moreover, with Mick Schumacher being a probable choice, they might decide to go with an experienced driver on the other side.
