Mick Schumacher expects a "rough wind"

Mick Schumacher will fly in 2024. A lot of flying. The 24-year-old has a mammoth year ahead of him in motorsport. Schumacher faces a major challenge, particularly in the World Endurance Championship - and has to answer a crucial question.

Mick Schumacher is looking for a new challenge, but it may be much more demanding than one would expect for a retired Formula 1 driver. "Mick Schumacher is facing a rough wind in the WEC," predicts RTL racing expert Felix Görner in an interview with sport.de/ntv.de. With manufacturers such as Ferrari, Toyota and Porsche, the championship is "almost a who's who" of motorsport. The newcomers Alpine and Schumacher, on the other hand, come into the series "as underdogs", Görner clarifies.

"This will be a training year, hopefully not a blank year. There are plenty of top drivers in the WEC who have been in endurance racing for years and have proven themselves. Nobody is trembling now because Mick Schumacher is joining. You can't set your expectations too high. It's a feeling-out process at first. I think Mick himself is curious to see how good he is with this rocket with a roof. Maybe he will have so much experience by the season highlight in Le Mans in June that he can play a good role and finish in the best position."

Schumacher must first compete with other WEC rookies and his Alpine colleagues Ferdinand Habsburg, Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Charles Milesi and Paul-Loup Chatin, says Görner. A "cross-comparison" with Robert Shwartzman would also be interesting, should Ferrari give the Russian a seat. At 24, Shwartzman is the same age as Schumacher, and both once went through Ferrari's junior academy.

"I hope he doesn't become the crash child of the WEC"

"I hope that he doesn't have any accidents," says the long-time RTL reporter, looking ahead to Schumacher's debut year: "We know the reasons why he was ultimately kicked out of Formula 1 at Haas. Hopefully he won't be the crash child of the WEC."

From Schumacher's point of view, the move to the World Endurance Championship was "smart" overall, says Görner. "It is important that he has grasped the last straw. He has to get back into driving. Otherwise he will go down in racing history as a simulator champion."

The WEC is "completely new territory" for Michael Schumacher's son and, compared to Formula 1, "the switch from a sprint to a marathon competition. It's a completely different driving experience. Not just driving with a roof, but also with covered wheels that you can't see. Then, of course, the much higher weight than in Formula 1, which leads to different cornering behavior. He has to learn that," explains Görner. Schumacher can no longer "throw a WEC hypercar into a corner like an F1 car. It's more like driving on rails. The car is more of a block, has significantly less horsepower and is generally more sluggish."

Compromises necessary with vehicle set-up

Schumacher is also unfamiliar with the WEC "team sport", in which he will share the Alpine hypercar with two colleagues. "He will have to make compromises when it comes to vehicle set-up, especially when working for a 24-hour race. You adopt the compromise set-up of the driver in front who has just driven and you can't make many adjustments during the pit stop," says Görner, who has covered 24-hour races dozens of times as a reporter for RTL and Nitro.

The WEC will show "how flexible Schumacher is as a racing driver," says Görner. "Is he the kind of racing driver who sits in a car and is fast straight away - regardless of whether it's a soapbox or a Formula 1 car? That's what makes the quality, think of Fernando Alonso or Nico Hülkenberg. He's a real benchmark, he won Le Mans even though he didn't practise driving with a roof. Mick will be judged in the WEC on whether he is a really complete driver or just a specialist. This question will dominate Mick Schumacher's racing year: Is he a complete racing driver or just a Formula 1 driver?"

Things will get serious for Schumacher next week from December 11 to 13. In Portimao (Portugal), he will climb into the Alpine hypercar for the second time during testing. The test laps are "extremely important" for the 24-year-old, emphasizes Görner. "He has to put this car on like a second skin. Every kilometer he reels off helps, and he will reel off a lot. It will be his last experience in this sports car before the 2024 season starts."

Age speaks in Mick Schumacher's favor

The RTL reporter alludes to the Mercedes man's most recent Formula 1 test in Magny Cours, saying that Schumacher has to "completely ignore the difference to Formula 1, otherwise it won't work". "Portimao in the Alpine will be a jump from the hot shower into cold water for him. He'll be asking himself: Can't it be faster, why do I have to brake so early to get into a corner, because the braking power in a WEC car is simply not that strong?"

After the tests, Schumacher will be back on the plane, where he will spend more time next year than in the race car. In the medium term, the double burden as F1 substitute driver and WEC full-time driver is "a mistake", says Görner. "In the short term, I can understand him because he doesn't want to give up his dream of Formula 1 just yet. He wants to be close to it, perhaps to see a gap that he might only be able to recognize on site, and of course to network with his management."

However, if Schumacher is not offered a chance in Formula 1, he would have to devote himself entirely to another project. Perhaps the WEC, if Schumacher answers the question about his overall motorsport package. "If he convinces, that would certainly open up new opportunities for him," says Görner. "Because you mustn't forget: his age speaks in his favor."

Read also:

Mick Schumacher's move to the World Endurance Championship (WEC) is a significant shift from his Formula 1 career. Despite being a rookie in the WEC, Schumacher will have to compete against experienced drivers and teams, making it a challenging year.

Mick Schumacher's debut in the WEC could be closely watched, as he aims to prove his versatility as a racing driver. After his testing sessions next week in Portimao, Schumacher will need to adapt quickly to the WEC's unique characteristics and team dynamics to deliver strong performances.

Source: www.ntv.de