Sebastian Vettel wishes Michael Schumacher could be present to watch his son Mick as he prepares to race in Formula 1 next year.
Earlier this week, the young German confirmed he has signed a multi-year deal at Haas starting in 2021, this as he looks to wrap up the Formula 2 title in Bahrain this weekend.
And like the seven-time world champion assisted him in his early years, Vettel has vowed to help Schumacher Jr as he makes the step to F1.
“I”m happy to help where I can,” he said via Crash.net on Thursday.
“Mick is a great guy, and I have a very special connection to his father. It’s a shame that Michael is not able to witness Mick’s progression in the last years and his step now into Formula 1.
“So from my side, I really like him. We get along well and I’m happy to tell him everything that I know.”
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Asked which areas his advice and guidance could most help Schumacher, the 2021 Aston Martin driver explained: “I watched his father winning a lot more races than [Mick] could have watched me win.
“The way I look at him is I see him as a person where I can help him in his life or on track with some of the things that I went through in my career.
“I think it’s very important for him to find his own path and follow his own way. But surely as much as it helped when Michael had some things to say when I asked and he gave me advice, I’m trying to do the same to [Mick].”
Naturally, Schumacher’s F1 promotion has captured the world’s attention, but the 21-year-old is taking it all in his stride.
“Well, I think that it’s quite clear that I’ve been under a sort of spotlight since a very young age and especially due to the sport that I do and I love, probably a bit more than usual,” he told Racer.
“Nevertheless, I think it’s something I’ve been able to get used to and I would say about myself that I’m able to deal with it pretty well.
“I guess it’s something that has always been with me and I got used to it — I didn’t really have to specifically work on it.
“One thing that is important is having a family that is open and true to me. If you have friends that tell you how it is, and have facts, you will stay grounded and you’ll be able to see things in a different perspective than if you were trying to do this alone.
“I’ve had the luck to have such a great bunch of people around me.”