Ralf Schumacher critical of Alpine as Mick learns bad news via Instagram

Ralf Schumacher has criticised Alpine for the manner of how his nephew was let down.

Mick Schumacher was in the running for their 2025 race seat until, last week, it was confirmed that Jack Doohan had beaten him to it.

Mick claimed to Sky Germany that he discovered the disappointing news on Instagram - and not through a personal message from Alpine.

“This is no way at all,” his uncle Ralf, also a former F1 driver, added to Sky.

Mick Schumacher and Doohan both tested an Alpine F1 car in what became dubbed a ‘shootout’ for their vacant 2025 drive.

Doohan, currently Alpine’s reserve driver, got the nod ahead of Schumacher who has forged a relationship with the manufacturer this year by representing them in the World Endurance Championship.

The Alpine opportunity vanishing was a major setback for Mick’s hopes of returning to F1.

He has been absent from the grid for two years since losing his Haas seat, amid criticism from then-boss Guenther Steiner for the frequency of his mistakes.

Mick is currently the third driver at Mercedes - but that didn’t help him claim the Williams seat which was lost by Logan Sargeant this week, either.

Mick was overlooked by Williams who chose Franco Colapinto to race in the final nine rounds of this year.

The only possibility for Mick to return to F1 in 2025 now appears to be at Sauber.

That team will evolve into Audi in 2026, and have signed Nico Hulkenberg to give them a strong Germany-based presence.

Mick - and the gravitas of his family surname, particularly in Germany where Audi are based - could have appeal for the manufacturer.

Mick told Sky Germany last week in Zandvoort that he has held talks with F1 teams "but no more than that”.

He added: “We have to wait now, everyone takes a little time to analyse the situation well and then make the best choice in terms of the drivers.

They know what I can do and what they get. Let's see.

"You could see what I can do. Internally, the teams also know what I can do - also through the years in the junior categories."