米克·舒马赫hailed for ‘tremendous advantage’ he is giving Mercedes
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff talked up the benefit of having Mick Schumacher supporting their cause behind the scenes.
Schumacher linked up with Mercedes ahead of the F1 2023 campaign following his release by Haas after a turbulent two-season spell with the American squad.
And while this means his presence cannot be directly felt on the F1 grid this season, Wolff made sure to talk up the great influence which Schumacher is indeed having on the team as they continue their recovery mission to reel in the dominant Red Bull outfit.
米克·舒马赫sim work ‘tremendous advantage’
Homing in specifically on Schumacher’s efforts back at base on the simulator, Wolff would detail how this then helps the Mercedes team greatly with their efforts over the race weekend.
For the European stage of the season, Schumacher often pumps in the hours in the Mercedes sim on a Friday evening, before then heading out to join the team trackside, where he can then be on standby should Lewis Hamilton or George Russell be unable to compete.
Schumacher’s services as a reserve driver are also available to McLaren.
“First of all, it’s great to have a mature, successful and experienced Formula 1 driver supporting us,” said Wolff of Schumacher as per RacingNews365.com.
“In the simulator with his feedback, that is of tremendous advantage. At some of the European grands prix, having him on the sim overnight [on the Friday] and providing data for the Saturday is a super advantage for us.”
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Not the only sim praise Mick Schumacher has received
After Mercedes’ major upgrade to the W14 paid off in Spain with a far improved performance, the team claiming a double podium result as Lewis Hamilton crossed the line P2 and George Russell P3, both drivers made sure to praise Schumacher for his input in the turnaround.
Once again, it was his work in the simulator ahead of Saturday’s running which the drivers picked out as a crucial aid, in-keeping with Wolff’s comments.
“Friday was a real struggle with the balance, it was way out of the window,” said Hamilton after the Spanish GP. “It was very hard to drive, very unpredictable. And then we did some great work overnight.
“We’ve got a great team, with Mick back in the simulator on Friday night and he did some great work, which helped us get on the right track on Saturday.”
Russell added: “The work that Mick and the simulator team are doing overnight, they were there well past midnight to help us with the setup and get it in a good window for the race today.”
Schumacher is hoping to be back on the grid as of F1 2024, but with no clear opening having emerged as of yet, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the German racer.
