Mick Schumacher is hoping to land another test with McLaren after revelling in a private outing in Portugal this week.
After being axed by Haas at the end of last season following a two-year stint in F1 with the team, Schumacher was swiftly picked up by Mercedes as a reserve driver to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Given the healthy relationship between Mercedes and McLaren, in February the latter also confirmed Schumacher would serve as a reserve should either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri be unable to drive.
As part of that arrangement, and in a bid to get Schumacher up to speed with the team and its procedures, the 24-year-old spent a day behind the wheel of McLaren’s MCL35M that Daniel Ricciardo drove to victory in the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
Following the private run at Portimão, Schumacher said: “My first test with McLaren was great, we did so many laps out there.
“It has been really good to get that experience with the team. It is a great team and a great bunch of people.
“We went through the whole schedule beforehand when I was at the factory. We were trying to focus on the things that I think are important for me, in terms of my development, and for the team to get to know me.
“We ran through some different projects, it was mainly about driving style and getting to understand the tyre.
“The tyre we used is an academy tyre, so it is a little different, but it is a great one to learn on and improve my skills, and that is what we were really focused on.
“It was good to get a feeling for driving a race-winning car, as this car won in Monza. It was great gaining the knowledge of how to drive this car and how to get around in it quickly.”
Before the test, Schumacher conducted a seat fit at McLaren’s Woking headquarters where he was shown around by team principal Andrea Stella, who served as performance engineer to Michael Schumacher at Ferrari between 2002 and 2006.
Hailing McLaren’s approach to the test as “very professional”, he added: “They were very open to my feedback and my opinions.
“When you work with a team like McLaren, who have a lot of experience in F1 and of winning championships, it is a good feeling when they value your input as a driver.”
Although no further test is scheduled at present, Schumacher is naturally looking for another opportunity as soon as possible.
“I did the Pirelli test with Mercedes in Barcelona, so it is not like I was coming into this test super, super fresh,” he remarked.
“It is good for me to get as much driving in as possible, and that is why the day was an amazing opportunity for me.
“I wouldn’t say no to another test with McLaren.”
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