08 March 2023 , 21:24
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Mick Schumacher admitted "it felt like the day was never going to end" as he watched the first race of the new Formula 1 season from the sidelines.
Had things gone differently, he would have been lining up on the Bahrain grid last weekend. But the German did not do enough in his two years racing for Haas to convince Guenther Steiner that he was one of the drivers they needed to achieve their ambitions.
And so he was replaced by the more experienced Nico Hulkenberg, who made his debut for the team on Sunday. Schumacher, meanwhile, watched on from the Mercedes garage as the team's reserve driver.
It was not easy for him to do so. "I've been sat on this stool there with my hands and my arms and just felt like the day was never going to end because I just wanted to jump into the car," Schumacher said after the race.
"But it's also another factor which proves to me and to myself that I really, really want this – and it shows that I'm not okay with not being in the car. I don't know what the future brings.
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"I mean, it's difficult to say. I feel very much at home at Mercedes, and therefore definitely have to see what options I have for the upcoming season. But also, I guess, a lot of that will be kind of shown as the year goes by."
Mick Schumacher's place on race days this season is in the Mercedes garage (Getty Images)Despite being gutted to miss out on the racing action, the young German says he is enjoying his new role. His input will be key as Mercedes look to give main driver Lewis Hamilton and George Russell a more competitive car to race with.
Schumacher added: "It definitely feels great for me because I've come from a car, obviously, which has been quite difficult to drive and jump into a simulator which is pretty accurate and pretty close to, I would say, reality.
"It's really been good to have that feeling to be also able to try out a few different things in the simulator. From what the drivers say, it's really not too far away."