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Mick Schumacher talked about his challenge ahead of his World Endurance Championship (WEC) debut with Alpine later this year.
The German is set to debut in WEC with Alpine which will be his first racing experience outside of the open-wheel category. At the same time, he has his duties to serve as a reserve driver for Mercedes.
Mick Schumacher has not raced in F1 since the end of the 2022 season when Haas did not extend his contract. Post that, he was signed by Mercedes but did not take part in any of the Grands Prix. Regarding his move to WEC, when he was asked if it was a 'sideway step,' Schumacher refused. PlanetF1 quoted him:
"I’m a racing driver, I haven’t been out of racing in 14 years previous to this, so it was definitely a clear choice and clear direction that I wanted to be racing again next year. It is an upcoming championship in general, so I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t call it a sidestep."
"I think it has its charm and its challenges just as much as Formula 1 does."
Since he will be sharing his duties with two different teams, it has been questioned if it will pose a difficulty, however, Mick Schumacher was rather positive when speaking about the same:
"So, I’m doing a dual programme with the reserve driver’s seat role as a whole, to keep contact with Formula 1 but definitely I see it as a challenge, and I see it as something where also I, as a driver, can develop further hopefully as well."
Furthermore, he feels that if he gets a chance to race in F1 again, his experience from WEC will only help him and he will be able to 'take' the development from WEC.
“If, let’s say, my way leads back to Formula 1 one day, then I’ll be able to take that development that I have done in that series over to Formula 1 again," Schumacher added.
Mick Schumacher claims he will prioritize F1 over WEC if an opportunity arrives
Although there are only eight rounds of the World Endurance Championship, there are quite a few events in the 2024 F1 and WEC calendar that collide. Given the circumstances of Schumacher's commitment to both Mercedes and Alpine, it can become a difficult choice.
However, Mick Schumacher has already cleared up that he will be prioritizing Mercedes and F1 over Alpine if his services are needed with the team.
"If there is a necessity for me to be in a Formula One car and there’s a (WEC) race weekend at the same time then obviously Formula One has priority," he told Reuters.
"Mercedes has always been very supportive of me going into this position … to stay sharp and, if the opportunity arises, that I am 100 percent in the right mood and position mentally as well as physically to take on the challenge thrown at me," he added.
WEC's first event of the season is the Qatar 1812 kilometers on March 2, 2024. At around the same time, F1's season-opening Bahrain GP will be held.
