Alpine Shootout Test Deemed Unfair For Mick Schumacher - 'It's A Shame'

Saajan Jogia | Aug 28, 2024

Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Haas F1 Team driver Mick Schumacher (47) of Team Germany walks on to the track before the running of the U.S. Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has criticized Alpine's driver selection shootout as unfair, citing differences in track temperatures between the two sessions. The test was held to decide between Jack Doohan and former Haas driver Mick Schumacher, but Mick's uncle Ralf questioned the seriousness of the process.

Alpine recently announced Doohan as the team's second driver alongside Pierre Gasly for the 2025 season. The change came a few weeks after parent team Renault rehired former team principal Flavio Briatore as executive advisor to CEO Luca de Meo.

Flavio Briatore aims to revamp Alpine to make it a consistent podium contender by 2027, focusing on developing a fast, title-challenging car. Regarding its driver lineup, Alpine had two candidates for the available seat: junior driver Doohan and Mercedes reserve driver Mick, who also races for Alpine's World Endurance Championship team.

To choose the best of the two, Alpine held a test run at the Paul Ricard circuit in July, where both drivers were put behind the wheel of a 2022 Alpine F1 car. While Mick's prospects were high of securing the F1 seat, as per Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, he lost the opportunity to his friend Doohan, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Enstone outfit.

However, Ralf believes the way the test was conducted shows Alpine didn't take it seriously. Speaking to Sky Deutschland, as reported by PlanetF1.com, he said:

"He [Mick] drove in the afternoon and Jack Doohan in the morning.

“I’ve been there myself. If you drove at 09:00, you were two and a half seconds faster because it was 38 degrees in the afternoon and there was wind.

“If you approach a test like that, you have to doubt that they took it seriously. I think it’s a shame because it’s just not fair and because nobody else gets the chance.”

What irked Ralf even more was that Mick was notified of his rejection through an Instagram post. The Alpine F1 team posted the following message suggesting Doohan's hiring:

“Dreams Doo come true. Jack Doohan will complete our line-up for 2025.”

Ralf added:

“That’s absolutely not the way!

“You can just say that the team has completely lost its way at the moment anyway.

“People are being thrown out, thrown back in and so on. Flavio [Briatore, Alpine Executive Advisor] is kind of floating above it.”

Despite the rejection, Mick said he was in discussion with other teams, but there was no progress beyond that. He revealed:

“But nothing more than that. We have to wait now, everyone is taking their time to analyze the situation well and then make the best choice as far as the drivers are concerned.

“They know what I can do and what they will get. Let’s see.”