Abu Dhabi Mick Schumacher's Last Chance To Debut In F1

JAKARTA - The season-end Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is likely to be the only chance for Mick Schumacher and Callum Ilott to debut in the Formula 1 training session after bad weather caused the Eifel GP training session last weekend to be canceled.

Schumacher was supposed to try out the Alfa Romeo car in the first free practice session (FP1) at the Nurburgring Circuit, Germany, on Friday morning last week, while Ilott got the opportunity with the Haas team, both teams using Ferrari power units.

With six races remaining on the calendar, consisting partly of a new circuit, Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies said Ferrari plans to bring Schumacher and Illot to FP1 in Abu Dhabi so as not to clash with their duties in Formula 2.

"If you look at the calendar, there is no chance before Abu Dhabi," Mekies said on the F1 Nation podcast as quoted by Antara , Wednesday, October 14.

Portimao in Portugal is not an option because it's a new circuit, "nobody's been there, and you don't want to miss your FP1," he said.

"We will try to be fair and reasonable with our partners and I don't think we will put them on a completely new track where nobody has data.

"I think because they are going to race in Bahrain (F2's final two series), and we don't want to bother them when they fight for the title, the only chance is in Abu Dhabi.

"So we will discuss it with Alfa Romeo and Haas to see what is possible," said Mekies.

Thanks to his close relationship with Alfa Romeo, Ferrari will have at least one member of the Ferrari Riders Academy racing in Formula 1 next year, whether it's Schumacher, Callum Ilott, Robert Shwartzman or current Alfa Romeo racer Antonio Giovinazzi.

But choosing one of them would be quite a headache, Mekies said.

"We are at a stage where these kids are getting closer to F1. It was emotional to see them in an F1 car, we dropped them off at Fiorano a few weeks ago, we were almost watching their debut.

"It would be a headache how to choose the right one and how to keep developing the others, but that's a good headache," he said.

Schumacher currently topped the F2 riders' standings with a 22 point advantage over Ilott, his closest rival.