Mick Schumacher has broken his silence after the Formula One star was left without a drive ahead of the 2025 season.
The son of racing legend Michael has been without a seat since the end of 2022, when the 25-year-old called time on an acrimonious two-year spell at American constructor Haas.
Schumacher increasingly found himself at odds with then-team principal Guenther Steiner, and after a slew of expensive crashes, consistently outperformed by his team-mate that year Kevin Magnussen.
Since then, Schumacher has served as reserve driver at Mercedes, but failed to secure a position on the grid.
This autumn, Schumacher was reportedly in contention for a vacant seat at Sauber, but this later went to Formula Two talent Gabriel Bortoleto – effectively leaving the German driver out of options ahead of next year.
Taking to Instagram to share his thoughts on his future, Schumacher appeared to remain optimistic about his prospects, but admitted he was enduring a challenging moment.
Mick Schumacher has broken his silence after it was revealed that he will go another year without an F1 drive
The 25-year-old was last on the grid with US constructor Haas – a spell which ended on tricky terms with team principal Guenther Steiner
Despite being one of the ‘nicest and politest people in the paddock’ Schumacher has struggled
‘Life doesn’t always go as planned, and setbacks can be tough to face,’ Schumacher wrote on Instagram stories on Sunday.
‘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.
Shouting out his fans, Schumacher added: ‘Thank you for your support, it means the world.’
Before being snubbed by Sauber – who will release current drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu at the end of the season – Schumacher was also passed over as an option by Williams when the constructor sought to replace Logan Sargeant mid-season.
The British team opted for Argentine driver Franco Colapinto, who has enjoyed a prodigious start to life on the grid with six points gained in just five races for the underdog constructor.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has previously attributed Schumacher’s difficult stint at Haas to his continuing bad luck breaking back into the paddock, stating that he was ‘not treated fairly’ by Steiner – who continued to lambast Schumacher after the end of the season in his incendiary memoir, Surviving to Drive.
‘Once you’re out, it’s difficult,’ Marko said, before adding that ‘you only hear good things’ about Schumacher, and that he is ‘one of the nicest and politest people in the entire paddock’.
The driver shared a poignant update with fans after he reportedly missed the vacant seat at Audi-backed Sauber
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has cited his difficult relationship at Haas as being a key factor
Schumacher has since been driving with Alpine as part of the World Endurance Championship team
Should the German driver return to racing’s top table he will seek to emulate his legendary father Michael (left)
Alongside his reserve role at Mercedes, Schumacher has been competing for Alpine in the team’s World Endurance Championship – Hypercar team.
The Swiss-born driver currently sits 22nd in the overall standings.
Schumacher’s return to racing’s top tier could also be hampered by the loss of a key advantage gained during his stint in the Mercedes garage in 2026 – when new regulations come into force and shake up the grid with cars the driver will be unfamiliar with.
But if he does return to F1, Schumacher will restart his bid to emulate some of the achievements of his father, one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time.
Having claimed the world title in 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, Michael also added 71 fastest laps and 155 podiums to his name during his iconic racing career.
However, he was tragically involved in a skiing accident in December 2013 that left him in a medically induced coma. He hasn’t appeared publicly since.
The German is cared for by a team of medical staff and his wife Corinna at their Lake Geneva home, but little has been made public about his condition.
