Mick Schumacher shares cryptic message after losing out on final 2025 F1 seat

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Mick Schumacher’s future in Formula 1 looks uncertain after Sauber announced that their final seat would be going to Brazilian Gabriele Bortoleto.

The German has not done a full season since he was axed by Haas at the end of the 2022 season due to inconsistent results and too many crashes reaching spiralling costs.

Schumacher was considered as part of the options for Sauber as they contemplated who to sign alongside Nico Hulkenberg for 2025, with the view of their Audi takeover looming.

Mattia Binotto talked up Schumacher’s chances of earning a Sauber seat, although the Italian eventually sided with Bortoleto because he thought having two German drivers in the team would be ‘too many’.

In the days after Bortoleto was signed, Schumacher took to Instagram Stories to post a cryptic message to his followers.

Mick Schumacher posts cryptic message referencing ‘challenge’ at end of 2024 season

Schumacher’s 2024 season is effectively over now that Alpine has finished in the World Endurance Championship, with the number 36 car finishing P14 overall in the standings.

The German had impressed in his outings during Le Mans this season, which also led to some speculation that Schumacher would replace the outgoing Esteban Ocon.

READ MORE: Who is F1 reserve and Alpine WEC star Mick Schumacher? Everything to know

Having been overlooked three times, with Williams also siding with Carlos Sainz in 2025, Schumacher has issued a message on his social media saying he is ‘determined’ to rise above his challenges.

“Life doesn’t always go as planned, and setbacks can be tough to face. But every challenge is a chance to learn, grow, and come back even stronger,” wrote Schumacher.

“This is just a chapter, not the whole story. The journey continues, and I’m determined to rise above it. Thank you all for your support, it means the world.”

Mick Schumacher’s inconsistency affected 2025 chances

Much of why Schumacher has failed to get a seat after 2022 was down to his inconsistent results while at Haas, having failed to outscore Kevin Magnussen in a head-to-head.

Given his experience already in F1 it is likely that he would demand a higher paycheck than any new rookies too, and his name is also going to bring in significant media coverage.

Guenther Steiner blames the media for ‘continuously damaging’ his career, having pitted him and the team principal against each other.

Schumacher was always going to have more scrutiny attached to him because of the success of his father, Michael Schumacher, however, it appears it was a contributing factor to the mounting pressure he faced in the latter stages of his F1 career.