Schumacher Relishing Challenge of Adapting to Alpine A424

Mick Schumacher says he’s looking forward to the challenge of adapting to the nuances of sports car racing as he prepares for his FIA World Endurance Championship debut with Alpine, adding that the learning process ‘is where the fun is.’

The 24-year-old is set for his first racing appearance in WEC and in prototype competition when he lines up alongside Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxiviere aboard the No. 36 Alpine A424 in next week’s Qatar 1812km.

After two years and 43 Grand Prix starts with the Haas F1 Team, Schumacher is set for a new career chapter, but one that the German racer is approaching with curiosity as he looks to adapt to a different form of racing than he is used to.

“I guess in general the change will always be big, no matter where you go,” Schumacher said.

“Obviously you go from the pinnacle of motorsport to a different kind of category.

“At the end for me though, the challenge is just about adapting to something new and that is what the fun in something like that is as well.

“It’s just about trying to figure out, ‘Okay, what do I need to do and where do I need to improve to be faster in those kind of cars.’

“It could be that I go racing in go-karts for 24 hours, what do I need to be faster?

“I’m very fortunate to be sharing a car with two such experienced drivers as [Lapierre and Vaxiviere] and really learn from them.”

Although he has driven the ORECA-chassised LMDh car in testing previously, Monday’s postponed WEC Prologue will be the first time Schumacher will get a taste of multi-class action.

He added that his preparation routine is “not very different than usual,” although with an increased focus on the longer driving time he will be facing compared to his time in F1.

“I also take all my rental kart experiences to the GTs,” Schumacher joked.

“No, I think that the Prologue is going to be a very good opportunity for me to get to know how the endurance world works.

“It’s really just about getting time in the car, getting time feeling comfortable in the position that I’m going to be in, which is in that car for a few more hours than I’m used to.

“I’m just trying to get the car over the line 24 hours later, so I’m just very keen on it. Very keen to [get] going.”

Like his Alpine colleague Charles Milesi, Schumacher remained coy about Alpine’s chances in its first season with the A424, saying that Le Mans preparation is a significant item on the brand’s agenda.

“I think because we haven’t actually gone out into a competitive environment yet, it’s very hard to predict what we’re going to find,” he said.

“So I think for us, it’s really just about trying to make sure that all the systems, all the procedures that we do are right and that basically once we get to Le Mans that everything is perfectly fine-tuned because that’s obviously the big goal of everybody.

“For sure the other teams are going to do the same. We have to catch up in this season and I think that actually has some benefits for us.”