Michael Schumacher's son Mick in talks over ‘incredible' F1 return after three years
TAKING THE MICK Michael Schumacher's son Mick in talks over 'incredible' F1 return after three years
MICK SCHUMACHER has confirmed he is in talks to return to F1 with newcomers Cadillac.
The son of legendary F1 driver Michael Schumacher could make a comeback next season having not raced in the sport since leaving Haas in 2022.
1
Mick Schumacher could return to F1 with Cadillac next season
Credit: Getty
He has also been a reserve driver for both Mercedes and McLaren - but was replaced by Valtteri Bottas as Merc driver at the end of last season.
New General Motors-backed team Cadillac will be on the grid for the first time from 2026 and are finalising their line-up.
The 26-year-old said: "Yes, of course, discussions are ongoing. The communication has been very positive so far.
"They've already hired a fantastic number of people for it [the project]. It's an honour to be part of it, to negotiate with them, and a great position to be in."
Ex-Red Bull driver Sergio Perez and Bottas are thought to be the favourites for the two Cadillac seats.
But team boss Graeme Lowdon remains a huge admirer of Schumacher - who currently drives in the World Endurance Championship with Alpine.
During him time in F1, Schumacher started 43 races.
His best placing was a sixth place finish, while he only finished in the points twice.
BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK
Lowdon has also confirmed that "positive" discussions with Schumacher had taken place while on the High Performance podcast.
He said: "Yeah, we're talking to Mick."
Comedian given death stare after bodychecking Lewis Hamilton at F1
He also added on Sky Deutschland: "Mick is great. He's a very nice guy, I like him a lot. I've got to know him better now.
"He's still young, but he already has F1 experience. Of course, that was a while ago, but he's kept himself up to date.
"We really like that. We really like that. He is no stranger to the team. He knows where we stand. There are some positive things to say about Mick.
"He is clearly one of the drivers on the list. But I should also say that the list is quite long."
Lowdon has also previously confirmed that talks with Bottas have taken place.
The Cadillac boss wants the team to make a statement in their first year and not just make up the numbers.
He said: "Everyone wants to prove something else again. I never look at that as the biggest motivator.
"Our team is not there as a vehicle for someone to prove a point. Our team is there to provide a position on the pitch, if you like.
"For someone to prove what they can do for sure, but it's not the vehicle to show the world, prove a point, or whatever.
"The driver is there to do the best that they possibly can for their team, and they should be motivated for the team around them as well. So, I'm less keen on people who kind of want to prove a personal point."
When asked about the prospect of Perez joining the cause, Lowdon did not rule it out.
He added: "Every single person, every name that you're going to read out, we're talking to everyone because everyone wants the drive."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Ex-Arsenal star shares warning over Liverpool's Diogo Jota grief - 'My brain was not here'
Bacary Sagna lost his brother when he was playing for Arsenal in 2008 and has told the Reds said: 'I advise them to speak up. This is something I didn't do and it had an impact on me, so I know how it feels.' Bacary Sagna knows from painful experience just how difficult it is to even attempt to play football after losing a loved one. The Frenchman tried and failed after his older brother, Omar, died a day before his 28th birthday in February 2008. So Sagna has massive sympathy for the Liverpool players who will attempt to focus their minds on sport after losing Diogo Jota, earlier this month. 'We are human beings first,' said the ex-Arsenal and Manchester City defender. 'We spend more time with our fellow players than we spend with our own wives and kids. So its going to be difficult. I don't see them performing as well as they did last season because first of all they were Champions - and to reproduce that level of performance back to back is difficult. 'But much more importantly, after losing someone dear at the club, a brother, I want to call him, I can't see it. 'So I have big, big support for his family, for his entourage, for his wife and kids and for Liverpool football club. It is not easy.' Portuguese forward Jota and his brother Andre were killed in a car accident in north west Spain on July 3. His grieving Liverpool team-mates are back in pre-season, preparing to fulfil their sporting obligations through their tears when the new Premier League season kicks off next month. Sagna wishes he prioritised therapy and emotional stability instead of continuing to play. 'I lost brother in 2008 when I was at Arsenal,' he said. 'It was my second season. 'My brain was not here. I started making mistakes. Schoolboy mistakes. To control the ball was difficult. My brain was in slow motion. 'So some of the players might come and be in the same mindset. They might not have their heads into football because they will constantly think about it. 'In the dressing room one space will be free. Lunchtime, one space will be free. On the bus, one space will be free. So, I clearly advise them to speak up. This is something I didn't do and it had an impact on me, so I know how it feels.' Liverpool's commitment to the mental health of their players and staff remains second to none. A city used to dealing with trauma has wrapped its arms around a club in mourning. With Jota counting Wolves among his former clubs, Sagna believes the emotion will be felt way beyond Anfield when the Premier League returns. 'I think it will have an impact on football in general,' he went on. 'On the Premier League, on players' approach to the game and on the way the players will get back into their training sessions. 'Because as a human being he was loved. Respected also.' Sagna believes counselling will be key as Liverpool's players and staff try to make sense of it all. 'One hundred percent,' he added. 'It might be a case of 'We're fine' but you need to process it. You need to open up about it. The mistake I made was to try to avoid talking about it. I was getting upset but it was a mistake - you have to let things out before you can even perform and let your football out. 'I was personally lucky because we had at the time a psychologist with the Arsenal team. When I lost my brother my dad called me unexpectedly. I remember we had a game, a Champions League second leg tie against AC Milan at home. 'I went back to France and I was just shocked. I was not even crying much. I felt like I was in the Matrix. I didn't know what was happening. I was shocked. My brain was paralysed. I couldn't think any more. I was going to go to the funeral but my dad advised me to come back because having that social pressure would have been difficult. So I didn't go to the funeral, my family went. I came back to Arsenal. "Arsene Wenger was very supportive, the club and the players too. But when I got back I got injured, against Chelsea. Nobody had tackled me. I think it was all related because the clearance I was making as I picked up the injury, I'd made it many times. But on that occasion I got injured. It was to do with my mental state. 'I had the feeling that I went from the best right back in the league to average. Then you had the judgement of people who didn't know. But how could they know? I didn't explain, I didn't speak out. But one day the club psychologist came to my room. He asked if he could come in and I let him. 'We sat on the bed and I'm like: 'Are you okay??' It was me asking the questions instead of the other way around! 'He said: 'The reason I'm coming to see you is that I can see you have an empty look.' I was like: 'What do you mean?' He said: 'I've been overseeing you for some time. You are here but you are not here.' I was like: 'But why would you say that?' 'I then learned a lot about myself. I was operating like a machine. I was leaving home, going to training sessions but I could not even tell you how I got there. He explained what a psychologist does and how I could identify myself as a human being, how I can remember the past and turn it into positives. 'So I believe the players at Liverpool can try and do the same. It is so important.' Sagna's breakthrough was all the more important because of the cultural barriers that had stopped him from discussing his private life outside his immediate circle. 'Its funny because I was against psychologists,' he went on. 'So when people suggested I go to one I was like: 'Listen guys, do you want me to go and face a stranger and tell him my story? He doesn't know me!' 'Why would I open up to a stranger that studied and learned from a book? 'That was my answer. But I can guarantee you will feel the love. Because they give you love, they understand you. Its an open book. We talk about life, we talk about many things and most importantly, I felt a relief. I felt lighter. 'I asked myself why I didn't go earlier! But I didn't have the courage. I didn't measure the importance of speaking up. But they meet so many people. They hear so many stories. Its really important.' Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
A tribute to Jules Bianchi, 10 years on from F1 driver's passing
Today marks 10 years since the sporting world lost Jules Bianchi, the F1 hotshot who passed away on 17 July 2015 at the age of 25. Bianchi, driving for Marussia, suffered a horrendous crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Bianchi spent nine months in a coma before succumbing to his injuries. The Frenchman, who was the godfather of Charles Leclerc, was seemingly set for a seat at Ferrari in the future, having impressed over two seasons at Marussia. He memorably picked up his first points at the 2014 Monaco GP, finishing ninth after starting 21st on the grid. Bianchi is Formula 1's last fatality, with his death following 21 years without any fatalities in the top tier of single-seater motorsport. Last year, as part of a wider piece on grief in motorsport, The Independent spoke to Max Chilton, Bianchi's teammate at Marussia. A tribute from Max Chilton, Bianchi's F1 teammate It took a few years for me not to think about Jules every day... even for a few seconds. Max Chilton Max Chilton remembers the moment vividly. Racing in the United States at Iowa Speedway in the 2015 Indy Lights season, the British driver had just earned his first victory, beating his teammate Ed Jones in the process. Two days earlier, his former teammate at Marussia Racing, Bianchi, had passed away following nine months in a coma. It was F1's first fatality since Ayrton Senna, 21 years earlier. 'I swear Jules was looking down at me,' Chilton says, reflecting a decade on from a tumultuously emotional time in his life. 'I started on pole and then my teammate got past. I was f****** angry but I had to work for the overtake and pulled it out of the bag. To this day, I feel like Jules was the welly up the back. 'I devoted the win to Jules and he pushed me on. It shocked me that he wasn't coming back.' The concept of 'teammate' is perhaps the biggest paradox within motorsport. In most sports, a teammate is primarily someone to work alongside in harmony towards a common goal. Internal competition? That comes secondary. F1 FATALITIES BY DECADE But in F1, particularly for a plucky outfit like Marussia destined for the back of the grid, it is ultimately what you are judged on. How do you square up to the driver on the opposite side of the garage? Chilton, hailing from Reigate in Surrey, first shared a team with French hotshot Bianchi at the age of 12. The duo shared a podium together when racing for karting outfit Maranello in Rome and competed against each other in Formula 3 and Formula Renault. 'Jules was the greatest young driver of that time,' Chilton tells The Independent, in a profound discussion about his career. 'Formula 1 is all about beating your teammate. When I did beat him, I knew I nailed it. 'But he beat me a lot more times than I beat him.' The statistics actually say otherwise; the pair were virtually neck-and-neck over 34 races. But Chilton and Bianchi had, in the under-resourced, over-stretched Marussia, the slowest car on the grid alongside fellow backmarkers Caterham. That 2013 debut campaign bore no points. It was only Bianchi's sumptuous drive from 21 st to ninth in the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix that saw the team pick up their first top-10 finish. By October and the Japanese Grand Prix, work was already underway behind the scenes for Bianchi to drive for Ferrari; if not in 2015, then a few years down the line. Until tragedy struck. On a dark, drizzly day at Suzuka, Bianchi's car slipped off the track and hit a recovery truck that was moving the stricken Sauber of Adrian Sutil. Bianchi suffered a severe head injury and following nine months in a coma, he passed away on 17 July 2015. 'What I remember from that day [in Japan] was the driver parade,' Chilton reflects. 'I was in front of him in a convertible and he was 100 metres behind me in his own car, standing under a Marussia umbrella. We both looked at each other and smiled, with the thought of 'what are we doing here?!' 'That was the last time I saw him and laughed with him. Fast-forward to the end of the race… it was only when I got into the pit-lane that Tracy Novak [head of PR for Marussia] told me 'don't talk to anyone.' I was then told how serious it was. 'I'd been in racing long enough, I know people have serious accidents. I just hadn't prepared myself for that and, to this day, I have not seen footage of the accident. I don't want to see it.' A week later, F1 went racing again in Russia and, for Chilton and Marussia, it would be their final outing. The team were placed into administration shortly afterwards and failed to complete the season. But, in light of events in Japan, the job prospects of 200 team members felt somewhat immaterial. It wasn't until the following summer, and that weekend in Iowa, that Chilton and the world started their mourning process. As Bianchi's competition and companion at Marussia simultaneously, did Chilton grieve? 'It took a few years for me not to think about Jules every day, even if it was for a few seconds, and there's still not a week that goes by without me thinking about Jules,' Chilton says now, with a nod to one of F1's current staple of drivers. 'I've never met Charles Leclerc. But when I see Charles on TV, he is Jules. The way he speaks and drives, it's the same. Charles is driving for Ferrari, which is what Jules would've done, so I enjoy watching Charles succeed. 'I'd like to think Jules passed something on to him.' Indeed, Bianchi holds a beloved spot in Leclerc's heart, as illustrated by the Monegasque's tribute helmet for his godfather last April. But for Chilton, mourning Bianchi's loss is indicative of the camaraderie felt within a cohesive racing team, even for an outfit as shortlived as Marussia. Now retired and thriving in a new world of property entrepreneurship, the 34-year-old is grateful for the memories and friends made. Yet the cruelty of Bianchi's accident had an unusual way of binding the team together, in a moment of such despair. 'It was a slightly eerie feeling,' he says of Sochi, Marussia's final F1 race. 'All Jules' mechanics were there, the car was looking clean. 'But there was never any doubt of putting someone else [a reserve driver] in the cockpit. It was always going to be Jules' car in the pit lane.'
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool close on Hugo Ekitike transfer as Newcastle pushed aside after Alexander Isak threat
Both Liverpool and Newcastle have been interested in Hugo Ekitike, but the Eintracht Frankfurt striker wants to move to Anfield and could cost the Reds more than £70million - with Newcastle having been unwilling to deal for Alexander Isak Liverpool are in pole position to sign Hugo Ekitike with the player preferring a move to Anfield over Newcastle. The Reds will have to submit an offer of more than £70m as Eintracht Frankfurt rejected an offer from Newcastle for that sum earlier this week. But Liverpool have told the Bundesliga club that they are ready to bid for the player. Ekitike, 23, is now understood to be favouring a move to Anfield and talks could now intensify when Liverpool submit a bid. The Reds approached Frankfurt on Wednesday to register their interest and later informed the club they are ready to bid. They also have an interest in Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. But they would need to smash the British transfer record to land him and the Magpies are not willing to sell. The Reds are scouring the market for a world-class No 9. Isak, 25, could cost £120m as Liverpool consider spending big with Ekitike set to be over £70m. The Reds currently believe that the Magpies will not sell their star striker this summer - leaving Liverpool to muscle in on a long-time Magpies target. As such, Ekitike has jumped to the front of the queue on Merseyside, with Frankfurt ready to part ways if their valuation of the France striker is met. Despite qualifying for the Champions League, the German club know that selling now will offer them the maximum they can get for the ex-PSG star, and allow them to reinvest. Liverpool want a new front man with Darwin Nunez expected to leave this summer if suitors can be found. Bayern Munich are also expected to bid again for Luis Diaz after a £58.6m bid was rejected by the Reds this week. Liverpool have spent big this summer with the signing of Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for an initial £100m rising to £116m, while they also paid the German side £29m for Jeremie Frimpong. They've shelled out £40m to land Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth and the £30m deal for keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia was agreed last summer. Newcastle meanwhile are desperate to add another striker to partner Isak and having learned that Ekitike wants a move to Merseyside are targeting Brentford's Yoann Wissa. The Bees are determined to keep their centre-forward however on the back of a 19-goal Premier League season last term and particularly with Bryan Mbeumo wanting to join Manchester United - having also decided against a move to Merseyside.
