Mick Schumacher relished his first experience in the Mercedes W14 after spending the day in Barcelona testing the blanket free tyres.
The Mercedes reserve driver drove a Formula 1 car once again for the first time this season on Wednesday in Spain as part of Pirelli tyre testing.
The 2024 prototypes were driven without heated tyre blankets as Formula 1 plans to do away with them starting with the 2024 season due to concerns about sustainability.
The former Haas driver who has spent the majority of this season working in the Mercedes simulator, completed a staggering 152 laps of the Circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya while collecting crucial data for his team and Pirelli.
The 24-year-old has received praise from George Russell and Lewis Hamilton for the work he has done at Mercedes so far this season behind the scenes. Schumacher worked out in the sim all weekend long while the team worked on solutions for the Spanish Grand Prix which eventually lead to a double podium finish.
“It was great! I learned a lot and it was a lot of fun,” Schumacher after His track debut with Mercedes. “It was a very productive day… We got through everything we wanted to and ran every test tyre on the plan.
“It was also good to have that first experience of the tyres without any blankets. Obviously having not driven in a while, I felt it physically, but it was good to be back in the driving seat.”
“This experience will definitely benefit me in my role… I have a better understanding of what to look out for and what to work on.
“I also have a better understanding of all the procedures and how the team works trackside,” the German driver added. “That would be a key factor in case I ever have to jump in and race.
“There is obviously a difference between the simulator and driving in the real world. There will always be a difference as the technology is not at a point where you can compare it 100%.
“However, it is the closest experience I’ve had between a simulator and real life.
“The simulator has prepared me, and the team has made a great effort of correlating it. That helped me to know what to expect when driving it. It’s clear why this team is an eight-time World Champion.
“I’m very excited for the rest of the year. I’ve had a great time today and hopefully I’ll be back in a car at some point. I loved every bit of it! I want to say a big thank you to everybody for this opportunity.”
Charles Leclerc and George Russell were on driving duty for their teams at the same circuit on Tuesday, and Carlos Sainz was also on track for Ferrari on Wednesday as Pirelli concluded the tyre tests.
