F2 seat ‘simply not affordable’ to Mick’s cousin David

Henry Valantine
David Schumacher at a DTM test. Hockenheim March 2022.

Young driver David Schumacher stands while testing in DTM. Hockenheim March 2022.

David Schumacher, son of former Williams driver Ralf and cousin of current Haas driver Mick, says he did not have enough funds to race in Formula 2 this season, but has found a drive in DTM instead.

He admitted that he was unable to gain enough money through sponsorship to pay for a drive in Formula 2, after looking to make the step up after two years in FIA Formula 3.

He finished 11th in the championship last season, taking a race win in Austria and another podium at Spa, but his single-seater journey on a path to Formula 1 has ended for now as a result.

However, he will compete in a Mercedes in the famous German touring car series in 2022, which the young Schumacher is happy with for now.

“This was the step we had to take for the time being, because we didn’t find enough sponsors for Formula 2, but we also got a good offer with Mercedes and HTP-Winward,” said the 20-year-old, as per Motorsport-Total.

“That’s why we took the step towards the DTM for the time being.”

But his father Ralf explained that he funded most of his son’s junior career up to this point, but the sums involved add up too much for him to continue on the path through Formula 2 this season.

Schumacher Sr said to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung: “The path to Formula 1 is simply no longer affordable.

“We had two or three small supporters, but until now I basically paid for everything. And now there was nothing to be found, Formula 2 doesn’t stand out strongly enough as a format.

“Still, I had hoped that there would be more interest from David. It would certainly have worked well in synergy with Mick.”

The finances in motorsport have long been a sticking point in bringing young drivers through the categories, with Lewis Hamilton dubbing Formula 1 as a “billionaire boys club” last year, where cash is king in talent coming up to the top tier.

While Schumacher was in a position to invest his own money into his son’s career, he was able to break down just how much David’s career has lightened his wallet to date.

 

 

“You spend about 10 years in karting, averaging 150,000/200,000 euros [per year; ed.] then I’m at two million,” the former Formula 1 driver explained.

“Then comes Formula 4, which is also another two years. If I run Formula 4 properly, then I’m at around 450,000 euros per season. Then we’re already at 2.9 million.”