Mick Schumacher to race for Alpine in world endurance

Mick Schumacher will race for Alpine in the world endurance championship next season after a year on the sidelines in Formula One, the German driver and Renault-owned brand said on Wednesday.

Alpine will enter two A424 Hypercars with the son of seven- times F1 world champion Michael Schumacher, joining French drivers Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Charles Milesi and Paul-Loup Chatin as well as Austrian Ferdinand Habsburg.

Schumacher, who raced for Haas in Formula One in 2021 and 2022 and spent this year as reserve for Mercedes, will be making his debut in the championship.

"A new chapter is beginning for me with Alpine," said the 24-year-old.

"I've grown up with single-seaters so driving a car with a closed cockpit and covered wheels is a great opportunity to hone my driving skills.

"I sorely missed racing this year. It's what I've loved to do since I was a kid and it was sometimes difficult to watch the other drivers take to the track."

Alpine said the crew line-up for the two cars would be announced on Feb. 7.

The season, whose highlight is the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, starts in Qatar in March.

Williams are the only team left in Formula One still with a potential vacancy for 2024.