Feb.16 (GMM) Formula 1 teams are already interested in signing up Mick Schumacher for his return to the grid in 2024.
This year, after two mixed seasons with Haas, the 23-year-old son of F1 legend Michael has had to settle for a reserve role at Mercedes.
He will also be on standby for Mercedes-powered McLaren.
“Maybe it’s not the move I wanted,” the German told Auto Bild, “but it’s another way to improve as a racing driver.”
However, he is hoping his time on the reserve bench will be short-lived.
“My goal is to stay in Formula 1,” said Schumacher. “There’s no guarantee of course, but I’m in a comfortable position where I think I can get a lot out of the year. I’m sure there will be opportunities.
“Some people have already expressed an interest over the winter,” he revealed. “So, there’s something. We will see over the next few weeks and months when talks will start.”
Schumacher insists he will keep his full focus on Formula 1 this year, ruling out any serious racing in other categories.
“The calendar is intense but I’ll do a few kart races here and there, which is probably the closest thing to Formula 1,” he said.
“I drove a Formula 3 car in the winter and try to drive as many cars as possible. I’m fitter than ever and I want to stay sharp.”
He is also hoping to get the chance of driving this year’s Mercedes car.
“That is the hope,” Schumacher told Sky Deutschland. “We still have to see if and when that will be the case.
“But it would of course be very good to the team to get a comparison to the work on the simulator,” he added.
As for his next move for 2024, Schumacher vowed to “keep chatting with everyone”.
“I’m very happy at Mercedes, but my goal is to race in Formula 1 again. We’ll have to see how the year plays out and what opportunities there are.
“I will approach roach every race weekend as if I was actually sitting in the car at the race,” Bild newspaper quotes him as saying.