(Paris) German Mick Schumacher, son of former F1 star Michael, will join the 2024 World Auto Endurance Championship (WEC) in its premier Hypercars category as a starter with the Alpine team, announced Wednesday the French manufacturer.
A year after losing his place in Formula 1, the 24-year-old former Haas driver will make his endurance debut at the wheel of one of the two Alpines entered in Hypercar next season.
“A new challenge awaits me […], I grew up and evolved with single-seaters. Driving a car with a closed cockpit and covered wheels is a great opportunity for me to hone my driving skills,” he was quoted as saying in a statement.
In addition to endurance, the German will remain reserve driver for the Mercedes team in F1 in 2024, the manufacturer indicated in the wake of Alpine’s announcement.
Schumacher took his first laps last October at the wheel of the A424 expected next year at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, the highlight of the WEC, during tests organized in Spain.
He will compete alongside four Frenchmen: Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere and Charles Milesi – three drivers already active in the team – and Paul-Loup Chatin. The Austrian Ferdinand Habsburg will complete one of the two trios.
The exact driver distribution for both cars as well as the official livery will be revealed on February 7, 2024.
“With Philippe Sinault (team manager, editor’s note), we were keen to recruit drivers who were not only fast and reliable, but also had real team spirit and good racing intelligence,” explained Bruno. Famin, vice-president of the sports branch of Alpine.
“Everyone brings to the project their own experience and their own qualities, for example Charles with his youth (22 years old, Editor’s note), Nicolas with his experience in endurance – he will be the mentor of the young drivers –, and also Mick with his experience of very high level,” continued the Frenchman.
After leaving the premier category of the WEC at the end of 2022, the brand belonging to the Renault group will make its return at the beginning of March for the 6 Hours of Qatar – with, this time, competition much more varied than in 2022 and above all very tough.
Indeed, Alpine will be facing many major manufacturers who have joined or will join the Hypercar category like it, like Ferrari, returning in 2023, or Lamborghini and BMW, also expected next year.
