Mick Schumacher was behind the wheel of a McLaren car for the first time this week at a test in Portugal, and the Mercedes Reserve Driver says he revelled in the chance to gain experience with another team in race-winning machinery.

It was announced in February that we would be able to call upon Schumacher as a Reserve Driver during 2023 as part of our arrangement with Mercedes, meaning that we’d benefit from his services if one of Lando or Oscar were unable to drive.

In return, Mick would get the chance to test with our team in the Italian Grand Prix-winning MCL35M at a private test in Portimão, an exercise that should prove helpful in his own development whilst also ensuring he’s ready to race for us if called upon.

Ahead of the test, the German spent time at our factory in Woking, undergoing a seat fit and plotting out a run plan with the team specifically tailored to him.

“My first test with McLaren was great, we did so many laps out there,” Schumacher said. “It has been really good to get that experience with the team. It is a great team and a great bunch of people.

“We went through the whole schedule beforehand when I was at the factory. We were trying to focus on the things that I think are important for me, in terms of my development, and for the team to get to know me.

“We ran through some different projects, it was mainly about driving style and getting to understand the tyre. The tyre we used is an academy tyre, so it is a little different, but it is a great one to learn on and improve my skills, and that is what we were really focused on.

“It was good to get a feeling for driving a race-winning car, as this car won in Monza. It was great gaining the knowledge of how to drive this car and how to get around in it quickly.”

Our Team Principal, Andrea Stella, won three Formula 1 Drivers’ Championships whilst working with Mick’s father, Michael Schumacher, as his Performance Engineer at Ferrari between 2002 and 2006.

Mick was given a tour of the McLaren Technology Centre with Andrea after his original seat fit and said that he has enjoyed working with the team at Woking and at the track, discussing what the team were like to work with and the mutual benefits of it.   

“The team were all very professional and had a very professional approach to the test, which I am always grateful for,” he continued. “The team were very open to my feedback and my opinions.

“When you work with a team like McLaren, who have a lot of experience in F1 and of winning championships, it is a good feeling when they value your input as a driver.”

Schumacher spent two seasons with HAAS in Formula 1, scoring 12 points in 43 races, before joining Mercedes as a Reserve Driver in December 2022. Before stepping up to F1, the German won the Formula 2 and European Formula 3 titles with PREMA Racing.

As well as spending extensive time in the Mercedes simulator, Schumacher has already enjoyed track time with the team in 2023 as part of his Reserve Driver role, taking part in a recent Pirelli tyre test in Barcelona. Although no further track time with McLaren is currently planned, the German says he’d jump at the chance to work with us again at another test.  

“I did the Pirelli test with Mercedes in Barcelona, so it is not like I was coming into this test super, super fresh,” he concluded. “It is good for me to get as much driving in as possible, and that is why this day is an amazing opportunity for me. I wouldn’t say no to another test with McLaren.”