The French Alpine racing team has held advanced talks with Mick Schumacher about a possible Formula One engagement for next season resulting in a race seat. Team boss Bruno Famin confirmed the news to Sky on the sidelines of the Canadian Grand Prix.
In the aftermath of the Monaco Grand Prix, Alpine’s team dynamics took a notable turn as Esteban Ocon dealt with the fallout from his costly first-lap collision with team-mate Pierre Gasly. Now, with the Canadian Grand Prix in full swing, the focus has shifted to a possible reshuffle within the team. Alpine boss Bruno Famin has confirmed that discussions are underway with Mick Schumacher about a race seat for next year, signalling a significant change on the horizon.
Repercussions from Monaco
The dramatic incident at Monaco’s iconic Portier corner, which saw Ocon’s car launched into the air and his race stopped, has resulted in significant penalties for the Frenchman. The stewards deemed the collision to be the result of an overly ambitious overtaking attempt and handed Ocon a 10-second penalty, which equates to a five-place grid drop for the current race in Canada. The stewards’ statement was clear: “The collision was caused solely by an overly ambitious overtaking attempt from too far back.”
In the aftermath, Ocon issued a public apology via social media, admitting he was at fault for the incident and that the gap he was aiming for was too small. Despite his remorse, the consequences of his actions go beyond the immediate penalties.
Speaking to Canal+ television, Alpine boss Bruno Famin expressed his disappointment: “It’s sad, this kind of incident. It’s exactly what we didn’t want to see. And there will be consequences.” Famin’s comments hinted at possible internal disciplinary action against Ocon, adding to the driver’s troubles.
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Team agreements not respected by Ocon
Gasly, who finished in tenth place and scored the last available point, underlined the seriousness of the incident.
“There was a clear instruction from the team on what to do and it wasn’t respected,” he said, underlining the breach of team protocol and the lost opportunity for both cars to score points.
“Potentially we could have scored points with both cars. We’ll talk about it, I’m sure we’ll move on and find solutions in the future,” Gasly added, hinting at an upcoming team meeting to address the issue.
The repercussions for Ocon go beyond the immediate penalty, with the team considering enforcing stricter discipline and better adherence to team strategies. There were rumours that Ocon could lose his seat, despite having a contract that runs until the end of 2024.
This speculation has only intensified with the news that Esteban Ocon will not be racing for Alpine next year, opening the door for new talent.
Mick Schumacher named as a targetted replacement
In the midst of this turmoil, Mick Schumacher’s name has resurfaced as a potential candidate for a seat at Alpine. Bruno Famin’s recent comments at Monaco gave fans of Schumacher hope of a return to F1.
“Everything is open, everybody is talking to everybody,” Famin told Sky Sports during the aftermath of Monaco, referring to Schumacher’s prospects. He insisted it would be a mistake not to consider Schumacher for a future seat: “Sure, it would be a mistake not to have him on the list.”
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Alpine impressed with Schumacher
Schumacher, currently racing in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Alpine, has impressed the team management with his speed and team spirit.
“He is super fast, but that is not the most important thing in the WEC. You have to be consistent and have a good team spirit. I am very impressed with his team spirit from day one,” said Famin, highlighting Schumacher’s seamless adaptation to endurance racing.
The current driver pairing of Ocon and Gasly in the Alps has been the subject of speculation about possible departures at the end of the season. Ocon’s recent mishap and subsequent loss of race seat for next year only adds to this uncertainty and could significantly alter Alpine’s driver strategy.
For Schumacher, the situation reignites his ambitions of returning to F1. Speaking over the weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix, he expressed his enduring dream of securing a seat in the premier series.
“My dream is still to race in F1. We have to hope that the dominoes will fall in my direction and hopefully I will end up with a seat,” Schumacher told Sky Sports Germany.
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Alpine confirms talks with Schumacher in Montreal
“We have talked to a lot of people and we are talking to a lot of people,” Famin said in Montreal. In addition to Schumacher and young driver Jack Doohan, the group of people interviewed included other riders currently under contract with other teams, Famin said: “But nothing has been finalised yet.”
It is also unclear whether compatriot Pierre Gasly will continue to drive for Alpine in 2025. His contract also expires at the end of the season opening the way for Mick Schumacher to potentially take the race seat.
“He is a young driver, but he is also an experienced driver with his two seasons,” said Famin of the son of record world champion Michael Schumacher, who will drive for the US team Haas in 2021 and 2022.
However, he did not get a new cockpit after that and is currently also a reserve driver for Mercedes.
“He is on the list, but the list is long. I don’t even know how many names are on it,” Famin said of Schumacher: “Everyone is talking to everyone and there are still some good drivers available to us.
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