Mick Schumacher has taken time to find his feet since finding out that the would no longer be a part of the Formula 1 grid in 2022.
But, it appears that his new home is treating him well after he finally secured a podium in the World Endurance Championship for Alpine.
A year of poor results and bad reliability has masked their true potential, but after a feisty battle and some consistent driving, the German finally secured his first piece of silverware.
It had actually been four years since he picked up a trophy – dating back to 2020 when he won the Formula 1 championship ahead of Callum Ilott.
Mick Schumacher produces ‘epic’ battle with Norman Nato
Schumacher hinted to Sky Sport Formel1 earlier in the week that his 2025 plans are close to completion already.
It looks set that he will continue in WEC with Alpine, who he has already tested a Formula 1 car with too since joining.
Speaking on The Marshall Pruett Podcast, Stephen Kilbey discussed his performance at Fuji, which felt like a bit of a breakthrough.
READ MORE: Bruno Famin outlines Alpine’s WEC testing plans for 2025 amid Formula 1 engine uncertainty
“Mick Schumacher, I thought that was the first time we [have] properly seen what he can do in a Hypercar.
“He looked really at home in the car. At the end of the race, when there was a podium place to fight for, he was a joy to watch.
“That battle with Norman Nato which lasted about 30 minutes was genuinely epic.”
Can Alpine build on their 2024 WEC performance?
Coming into the season, it was always going to be tricky for Alpine to compete for good results immediately.
They’ve been in the Hypercar category before, albeit under a different name and chassis, which means that everything was very new this year.
The opening four rounds of the season began with four finishes outside the top ten for Schumacher’s number 36 car.
READ MORE: The ‘incredible’ IndyCar opportunity that Callum Ilott is ‘very excited’ for next year
Since then, they have managed to secure three top 10 finishes in a row, and appear to have turned a page on what looked set to be a dismal season.
Carrying this momentum through to next season will be crucial if they want to secure more podiums, and it’s possible having achieved the feat already, which should help build their confidence.