A former Formula 1 driver believes Mick Schumacher is the rightful candidate to fill the final slot on the 2025 grid.
With Carlos Sainz's recent commitment to Williams, and with rookie Jack Doohan nabbing the Alpine spot and RB set to appoint Liam Lawson, Audi-owned Sauber remains the only team with an undecided second seat for the upcoming season.
The competition is fierce, with incumbents Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou among the potential picks, and possibly even the likes of the New Zealander Lawson or the retired Sebastian Vettel considered.
However, Schumacher, currently a Mercedes reserve and Alpine WEC driver, is rumored for the seat, potentially creating an all-German duo with Nico Hulkenberg at Audi.
Schumacher, who vide against his friend, the 21-year-old Doohan, in a recent Alpine shootout test, was a strong contender.
"Mick would have had to be significantly faster than Doohan to get that seat," Marc Surer shared with formel1.de. "If they were similar, Alpine must have said 'We'll take our own young driver', which makes sense."
Should the 25-year-old Schumacher miss out on the Audi opportunity, it could spell the end of his Formula 1 career, especially since he hasn't competed in a grand prix since his departure from Haas at the end of 2022.
"The chances are getting smaller and smaller," Surer acknowledged. "Audi is the only option left."
"Before they give another chance to Bottas, who is driving around unmotivated, they could give Mick another chance," he suggested.
"I judged Mick pretty harshly as a Formula 1 driver, but also because I believe he didn't use his talent, which I believe in. The guy is fast, which he proved in Formula 2. He also overtook really well. So there's something in him," Surer added.
"He wasn't able to show that in Formula 1, for whatever reason. Especially with (Kevin) Magnussen, he just looked a bit bad, but I think he wasn't able to show his potential. I hope he gets another chance," he concluded.
