Mick Schumacher’s last hope of returning to Formula 1 next year has been officially snuffed out.
The German driver, son of F1 icon Michael Schumacher, was overlooked for the vacant Sauber seat by an F2 talent.
Schumacher Jr. harboured ambitions of forming F1’s first all-German line-up since his father partnered Nico Rosberg at Mercedes.
The 25-year-old ironically is a current reserve driver for the Silver Arrows and had been looking to replace another recent Mercedes hero in Valtteri Bottas.
The latter lost his seat at Sauber alongside Zhou Guanyu for the 2025 season, with Nico Hulkenberg already agreeing to return to the team from Haas.
Schumacher had hoped to partner his countryman, but Sauber – who will be rebranded as Audi from 2026 – have instead opted to pick Gabriel Bortoleto.
F2 championship leader Bortoleto, who won the F3 title last year, was released from McLaren‘s junior team to join their Swiss-based rivals.
He will join current F2 foes Oliver Bearman [Haas] and Kimi Andrea Antonelli [Mercedes] in securing promotion to motorsport’s elite.
The 20-year-old has become the first full-time Brazilian racer to be in F1 since former Lewis Hamilton title rival Felipe Massa.
Ex-Ferrari star Massa retired in 2017 but is currently involved in a lawsuit against F1, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone over the 2008 season and is seeking over $80million in damages.
The 11-time Grand Prix winner lost that year’s championship on the final lap – which was also taking place in his home country – to Hamilton, who was securing the first of his seven at McLaren.
Should Massa’s appeal fail then Brazil’s hopes of finding a first world champion driver since icon Aryton Senna will fall on Bortoleto’s shoulders.
However, Schumacher’s dreams of emulating his own dad’s legacy in the sport have all but definitively been ended.
German automotive giants Audi, who have already purchased the Kick Sauber team and will be rebranding for F1’s new engine regulations in 2026, were considering Schumacher as an option for next year.
The son of a national icon would have generated huge sponsorship interest in the team, who are bottom of the constructor’s standings.
Schumacher attempted to prove his viability as a candidate during a recent Mercedes tyre test just days after his sister’s wedding.
However, adverse wet weather conditions at the Magny-Cours circuit saw his session in the W15 ended early, leaving little data to pull from.
The venue, which last hosted the French Grand Prix in 2022, would have been especially symbolic with his dad Michael winning there EIGHT times with Ferrari during his career.
That was previously the outright record for most wins from an F1 driver at a single circuit until Hamilton‘s ninth Silverstone triumph in July.
Ironically, it was in the W15 which Hamilton used to achieve that accolade that Schumacher’s son was testing at Magny-Cours.
Sauber hinted that age proved a factor in their decision-making, with Bortoleto five years Schumacher’s junior.
Sauber chief operating and technical officer Mattia Binotto said: “I have been asking to some drivers who have been driving with you and everyone was very impressed. But also because he is very young.
“For our journey for the Audi F1 team, growing together with a young driver was very important.
“When we met I was immediately impressed by the attitude. So not only as a driver we decided, but as a person. He can really be a leader for the team.”
Their announcement has now proved a hammer blow to Schumacher’s hopes of earning the final available spot on F1’s grid for 2025.
Schumacher has acted as a reserve driver for the Silver Arrows since losing his seat on the F1 grid with Haas in 2022.
Hopes were high for the son of one of F1’s greatest ever when he was snapped up by Haas in 2020 after becoming F2 champion.
A combination of several high-profile crashes and the American team’s struggles with their car resulted in Schumacher finishing in the points just twice across his two seasons on the grid.
He has since been languishing in the F1 wilderness waiting on a return, conducting simulator work for Mercedes at their Brackley-based headquarters.
Schumacher lost out to Jack Doohan to partner Pierre Gasly at Alpine after both tested at the Paul Ricard Circuit ahead of the British Grand Prix, despite competing for the team in the FIA World Endurance Championship this year.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff then pushed hard for Schumacher to replace Logan Sargeant at Williams once the latter was axed.
Williams have strong links to the Silver Arrows as they share an engine and are led by James Vowles, who was the motorsport strategy director at Mercedes before becoming team principal in Oxfordshire.
Schumacher missed out again as Argentine Franco Colapinto was chosen to complete the 2024 season, with Carlos Sainz already locked to partner Alex Albon next year.
