Formula 1: That’s it for Mick Schumacher: Bortoleto gets an Audi seat

Now Mick Schumacher’s Audi dream has shattered and a return of the 25-year-old son of record world champion Michael Schumacher to the Formula 1 starting field is more questionable than ever. The future factory racing team of the Ingolstadt car manufacturer has decided on the 20-year-old Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto. Shortly before, the team confirmed the separation of Valtteri Bottas from Finland and the Chinese Guanyu Zhou after this season.

Bortoleto, current Formula 2 leader and McLaren junior, will drive alongside 37-year-old German veteran Nico Hülkenberg from next year. He will be the first regular driver from the Formula 1 crazy country of icon Ayrton Senna since Felipe Massa retired at the end of 2017.

This also means that a revival of a German Formula 1 national team is gone. In 2010 Mercedes returned to Formula 1 with Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg and a works team. Audi will start in 2026, and next year the team, which has already been taken over by the German manufacturer, will start under the name Sauber.

Verstappen also stood up for Bortoleto

“We are currently experiencing a generational change in Formula 1. Young drivers often make a convincing appearance straight away. With the signing of Gabriel Bortoleto, we have signed one of these top talents,” said Audi’s CEO Gernot Döllner, emphasizing that this contract signing represents Audi’s long-term strategy Audi as well as the commitment to Formula 1.

At the Grand Prix on the legendary circuit in Interlagos last weekend, the eventual winner and probably soon-to-be four-time world champion Max Verstappen also stood up for Bortoleto: “If I were Sauber, I would have signed him up a long time ago.”

Successes in Formula 2 and Formula 3

In the São Paulo paddock, the Brazilian had already been a popular selfie partner for Brazilian fans. He also completed this part confidently with a smile. In terms of sport, his results also leave no room for doubt: Bortoleto won Formula 3 last year and this year he is leading Formula 2. McLaren, whose junior team includes Bortoleto, also gave in, team boss Andrea Stella had already made that clear.

On the other hand, the last opportunity for Mick Schumacher to return to the cockpit in 2025 will be over. And the likelihood of even making it again is becoming increasingly unlikely.

Mick Schumacher has been waiting for a long time

While his break gets longer and longer and all attempts fail, more and more young drivers are coming up. In addition to Bortoleto, the Australian Jack Doohan (21) at Alpine and the 18-year-old Italian Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes, for example, will contest their first Formula 1 races in 2025. The 19-year-old Brit Oliver Bearman will also be a regular driver at Haas for the first time.

Mick Schumacher has been longing in vain for a comeback for almost two years. Since leaving the Haas after the 2021 and 2022 seasons with a lot of trouble, bad luck and crashes, he has been a test and reserve driver at Mercedes. After the departure of record world champion Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari after this season, they are relying on Antonelli.

Haas time put a brake on Mick Schumacher’s career

Mick Schumacher had once won Formula 3 and Formula 2, but the difficult time with the Haas team, which was then behind in Formula 1, did not help to further accelerate his career – on the contrary. His start this year for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship didn’t help either.

When the French had to fill a new cockpit in Formula 1 for 2025, he lost out to Doohan. When Williams, a close partner of Mercedes, parted ways with Logan Sargeant this season, the British team opted for the Argentine Franco Colapinto. And now Audi for Bortoleto.