Mick Schumacher makes switch to endurance racing with Alpine after ‘difficult’ year on the sidelines

Mick Schumacher has announced he will be racing for Alpine in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) next season – his first foray into racing outside of single seaters.

Schumacher has been serving as Mercedes’ reserve driver during the 2023 campaign, having lost his place on the F1 grid after two seasons with the Haas team in 2021 and 2022.

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With Williams the only outfit yet to confirm their full line-up for 2024, Schumacher has been weighing up his options outside F1, which included a recent test at the wheel of the A424 hypercar Alpine have been preparing.

Having impressed the team, the 24-year-old German has now been named as part of Alpine’s line-up, which also includes French racers Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Charles Milesi and Paul-Loup Chatin, and Austrian Ferdinand Habsburg.

“A new chapter is beginning for me with Alpine in the FIA WEC hypercar category,” said Schumacher of his latest challenge. “The car is impressive, and I can’t wait to get started.

“I’ve grown up with single-seaters, so driving a car with a closed cockpit and covered wheels is a great opportunity to hone my driving skills.

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“I sorely missed racing this year; it’s what I’ve loved to do since I was a kid, and it was sometimes difficult to watch the other drivers take to the track.

“Endurance racing is a new challenge for me, and I’m sure we will share great moments together next year with Alpine.”

Bruno Famin, VP Alpine Motorsports, added: "With [Team Principal] Philippe Sinault, we wanted drivers who are not only fast and reliable, but also showing a real team spirit and good racing acumen to best represent the Alpine colours in the premier category of the World Endurance Championship.

“It might be [Schumacher’s] first foray into endurance, but his enthusiasm for the project and his will to join us are palpable. I’m sure he will be a real asset.”

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Alpine will reveal their full crews and the A424’s official livery at a launch event on February 7 2024, in the build-up to the new WEC season.

Following Alpine’s announcement, Mercedes confirmed that Schumacher will continue as their F1 reserve driver for 2024, providing support to regular racers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in a combined programme.