Mick Schumacher must now be wondering where his F1 career goes from here after watching his hopes of a seat at Williams go up in flames.
The 25-year-old was primed to follow in the footsteps of his famous father after winning the F2 Championships in 2020.
But his career plateaued when he made the step up to F1 and joined a Haas team unable to build a competitive car.
A fractious relationship with Guenther Steiner ultimately saw Schumacher axed at the end of the 2022 season and he’s been looking for a way back into F1 ever since.
Mercedes threw Schumacher a lifeline with Toto Wolff signing him as the team’s reserve driver.
Wolff has been Schumacher’s biggest public supporter in trying to get him back on the grid – although appears reluctant to give him a chance at Mercedes.
Mick Schumacher has once again been overlooked
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Just last week, the Mercedes team principal called on his former colleague James Vowles to give Schumacher a seat at Williams.
“I think he deserves a chance,” Wolff said.
“If the opportunity would be at Williams, it’s something that we would be cheering for. But it’s James Vowles’s decision.”
Another mishap from Logan Sargeant last weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix sealed his fate with Liam Lawson seen as the only man who could rival Schumacher for the American’s seat.
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But Williams threw a curveball by naming Franco Colapinto as Sargeant’s replacement until the end of the season.
While regarded as a bright talent for the future, Colapinto lacks experience at the highest level.
The 21-year-old made his debut in the F2 Championship at the end of last year and has competed in a total of 11 race weekends in the racing series.
In contrast, Schumacher has 44 F1 Grands Prix to his name along with 46 race entries in F2.
The German racing star was also seen as an option for Williams at the end of last year before they opted to re-sign Sargeant.
And the latest snub for Schumacher raises serious questions on whether he will ever find a way back onto the grid in F1.
Mercedes, RB and Sauber are the only teams with one seat available for next year’s driver line-up.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli appears on the verge of being confirmed as Lewis Hamilton’s replacement at Mercedes.
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James Vowles doesn’t appear convinced by Mick Schumacher
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Lawson is the obvious option to become Yuki Tsunoda’s team-mate at RB with Daniel Ricciardo facing an uncertain future.
Sauber, who are in the process of being bought by Audi, may be the only option but it’s a slim chance they opt for Schumacher.
Valtteri Bottas has made it clear that he wants to keep his seat following Mattia Binotto’s arrival, but will likely need to improve his performances having failed to finish higher than 13th all season.
If Schumacher misses out once again, that could be curtains for Schumacher’s F1 career.
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Mick Schumacher hasn’t raced in F1 since 2022
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Teams have already begun laying the groundwork for the 2026 season when new regulations come into force.
Andretti’s bid to join the grid as an 11th team could throw Schumacher a lifeline, but that’s 18 months away.
Schumacher will not want to waste his prime racing years waiting in the wings for a chance in F1 with other possible options out there.
And missing out on a short-term drive with Williams may be the final nail in the coffin for his F1 career.