Mick Schumacher has been told “it’s time to decide” his future after stalling his decision over his 2026 plans. He currently races for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship but has made no secret of his desire to return to Formula 1 if possible, having driven for two years with Haas before he was axed at the end of the 2022 season.
Schumacher, son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher, joined his father’s former team Mercedes as a reserve driver with the hope of using it as a platform from which to land in another race season. But that outcome never materialised and he ended up joining Alpine’s WEC programme instead.
Schumacher was linked with a reserve driver role at new F1 team Cadillac in 2026 and there were reports that a contract was offered but turned down by the German racer, now aged 26. IndyCar has also been mooted as a potential option and Schumacher did test with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing last month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
That came after he turned down the chance to drive for Cadillac’s WEC outfit – believed to be part of the F1 reserve deal that was on the table. Schumacher has also been linked with the new McLaren hypercar project, which his due to begin racing in 2027.
He said while in the States that “it won’t be too long” until he decides what he wants to do. But he has still yet to make a final call and, ahead of this weekend’s Eight Hours of Bahrain – the final round of the 2025 WEC season – Alpine Philippe Sinault said Schumacher needs to make a decision soon, or they will have to move on.
While the Frenchman was unwilling to say if there is a firm deadline in place, and made it clear that his preferred choice would be for Schumacher to continue to race for the team, he explained: “As you can imagine, we need a clear view as soon as possible now. It’s time to decide.
“If he stays, it’s perfect news and fantastic. If he comes with another project, [that’s also okay]. He brings a lot. We will see. It’s not clear at the moment, it’s not defined 100 percent, to be clear.
“It’s not negotiation, it’s not a fight – it’s part of life. He got some contacts for some other projects. He brings a lot of interest and he brings a lot to the project. He is really enjoying it with us, be sure of that. If he wants to continue, we definitely want to continue with him.”
Across his two seasons racing in WEC so far, Schumacher has scored three podiums and his switch from single-seater racing to sportscars has generally been viewed as a successful one.
