Schumacher considered IndyCar, Super Formula before WEC deal

Mick Schumacher has revealed that he did consider a switch toeither IndyCar or Super Formula for 2024, but ruled them out toallow him to continue as Mercedes reserve. After leaving Haas atthe end of 2022, Schumacher signed as the Mercedes reserve for2023, shadowing Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, and sampled theW14 during test sessions. However, he was unable to find a GrandPrix seat for the 2024 season and agreed a works WEC deal withAlpine in the Hypercar class. Drivers who can't find F1 race seatsoften look towards the United States or Japan for their top levelsingle-seater championships IndyCar and Super Formula,respectively. But while Schumacher did consider both series, heultimately turned them down, believing the WEC deal would be bestsuited to being dovetailed with his F1 duties. Schumacher toIndyCar? "For [Mercedes], it was very important for me to be backon a race grid and keep that race-craft up to date," Schumachertold media including RacingNews365. "To be fair, you always thinkabout what's out there, what are the options, and you kind of tryand make a pro and contrary list. "For me, personally, WEC was theone with the least contraries and the most pros, and in the end, itwas pretty easy for me to decide that was the challenge I wanted totake. "I [considered going to Japan] and also considered going west[to IndyCar], but the thing is, if you do that, there's littlechance of doing a dual program [with F1]."