Audi is the last remaining option for Mick Schumacher, a driver the team should consider as a replacement for the “unmotivated” Valtteri Bottas.

This is the opinion of former Formula 1 driver and current expert Marc Surer, who would like to give Schumacher a second chance in Formula 1, as he had not previously shown his full talent at Haas.

Could Mick Schumacher return to Formula 1 with Audi?

Additional reporting by Sam Cooper

After winning the Formula 2 title, Schumacher was called up to Haas’ F1 team, but after two seasons with the team in 2021 and 2022, he was dropped in favor of Nico Hülkenberg, who is the first driver signed for the Audi era, which begins from F1 2026, as the team prepares to take over from Sauber.

It was a challenging 2024 F1 season for Sauber. The team is the only one that has not scored a point so far and both drivers – Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu – finished the Dutch Grand Prix two laps behind.

With Hülkenberg taking a seat from next season, Bottas and Zhou are battling for the final spot, although the prospect of a completely new F1 team in 2025 remains. And with the vacancies closing at Alpine and, more recently, Williams – Logan Sargeant was replaced by Franco Colapinto after being sacked mid-season – could Audi be Schumacher’s ticket back to F1?

Surer would like to consider the German racing driver, as ten-time race winner Bottas is “unmotivated” to drive at the back of the field.

“The chances are getting smaller and smaller. Actually, only Audi remains,” Surer told Formel1.de about Schumacher’s return to F1.

“Before they give Bottas a chance, who is driving around unmotivated at the back, they could also give Mick a chance.

“I judged Mick pretty harshly as a Formula 1 driver. But also because I think he didn’t make the most of his talent. Because I believe in his talent! The guy is fast, he proved that in Formula 2. He was also great at overtaking. So there’s something to that.”

“He couldn’t show that in Formula 1, for whatever reason. Especially with (Kevin) Magnussen (as a teammate) he just looked a bit bad and I don’t think he was able to show his potential. I wish him another chance.”

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With Audi’s arrival in F1 in 2026 dominating the headlines regarding Sauber, Bottas admitted that this future era has led to “compromises” for the team.

Audi recently announced major personnel changes at its F1 project: former boss Andreas Seidl and chairman Oliver Hoffmann are leaving the team, while former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto will take over the reins of Audi F1 alongside Jonathan Wheatley, who joins from Red Bull, the team’s long-time sporting director.

When asked by media such as PlanetF1.com whether the focus was too much on Audi, Bottas replied: “I mean, the focus is of course here and now, but also on the future.

“So it’s always about compromise and we’ve recently had changes in the team again, so it’s just going to take some time until everything falls into place.”

Read more: Mick Schumacher’s Alpine shootout branded ‘not fair’ after Jack Doohan secures F1 seat for 2025