Exciting News: Schumacher’s Addition to WEC Team Is a Game-Changer

Bruno Famin, vice president of motorsport at the Renault brand, disclosed that the agreement for Mercedes F1 reserve driver to compete in the new Alpine A242 LMDh prototype in 2024 announced this week was already in progress before he was given a trial in the car at Jerez in October.

“When you are conversing in the F1 paddock with Mick, you seize the opportunity to have him in the team,” mentioned Famin.

“Having the chance to have such a talented and fast driver, I don’t see any reason why we would not take advantage of it.

“I am confident that he is undervalued in F1 and let’s not forget that he is the Formula 2 champion, Formula 3 champion – he possesses a multitude of exceptional skills.”

Schumacher, the son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael, will aid in “raising the bar” at the Alpine Endurance Team, managed in collaboration with the French Signatech squad, as per Famin.

“He remains a reserve driver for Mercedes and he has extensive, valuable experience with a top-level F1 team: he will contribute ideas and methodologies to us,” he stated.

Famin clarified that the brief trial at Jerez in October was to assess if Schumacher enjoyed driving the car and felt content with the team.

Photo by: Alpine

Mick Schumacher, Alpine

Famin emphasized that Schumacher’s performance in the A242 was not under scrutiny at Jerez. Alpine’s driver selection process was described as manual and human, rather than an industrial process, by Famin.

“This is why we didn’t organize a test with five or 10 guys,” he explained. “The conclusions we can draw from tests are very limited.”

According to Famin, the mindset of the drivers was “at least half as important as pure speed.”

He underlined the significance of the teamwork of each car’s crew and stated that after the Jerez test, he had “no doubts about Mick’s ability to share the car with his teammates.”

Schumacher’s current F1 contract means he will be available to Mercedes to stand in for either Lewis Hamilton or George Russell if needed.

Alpine would designate a reserve driver to cover any unforeseen circumstances at a later time, Famin added.

Schumacher was officially announced on Wednesday as part of Alpine’s complete lineup for its two A242s in the WEC’s Hypercar class in 2024. He was named as one of two new additions to the Alpine/Signatech squad, alongside Ferdinand Habsburg.

Additionally, Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Charles Milesi, and Paul-Loup Chatin, who have all raced with the team before, were confirmed.

The driver combinations for each of the two cars will be revealed in February at the launch of Alpine’s 2024 program.