Mick Schumacher has given his supporters a message of resilience online after missing out on a return to Formula One next year.
The German, son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher, drove for Haas in 2021-2022 before being dropped by former team principal and Netflix star Guenther Steiner.
In the two years since, Schumacher has undertaken reserve driver duties for Mercedes but was eyeing a spot back on the grid next year.
The 25-year-old was heavily linked with the second seat at Sauber – soon-to-be Audi in 2026 – but F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto has been handed that opportunity.
It means Schumacher faces another season on the sidelines, with no other realistic seats open on the grid in 2025, and he broke his silence to update fans on Instagram on Sunday.
“Life doesn’t always go as planned, and setbacks can be tough to face,’ Schumacher wrote.
‘But every challenge is a chance to learn, grow, and come back even stronger. This is just a chapter, not the whole story.
‘The journey continues, and I’m determined to rise above it. Thank you for your support, it means the world.’
Schumacher has not yet been confirmed as a Mercedes reserve again next year as he assesses his next steps.
The German driver did compete for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship this year and raced at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans event.
Schumacher told The Independent in June that he is “really hungry” to carve a route back into F1 as a first choice over other motorsport competitions.
“There’s a lot which hasn’t been seen yet, especially from a driving point of view,” Schumacher said.
“It’s never been a secret, my goal is to be back on the grid. I’ve shown in multiple ways that I am capable of winning championships. It’s just a matter of it fitting into somebody’s schedule, does it fit into their plan?
“I understand how I could have improved [at Haas], and there’s a lot more to show from my side. It’s all about, what do you want in your team right now? Do you want somebody who you can build a team around? Good for marketing? Purely shut up and drive? There are so many different types of drivers.
“As for me, I’m really hungry for it. I just need to keep performing in WEC (World Endurance Championship), showing everybody what I can do. Then people will know what they get if they hire me, and hopefully I’ll be able to prove to everybody that they made the wrong decision in not keeping me.”
Schumacher will compete alongside Sebastian Vettel in the 2025 Race of Champions in Sydney in March.
