Mick Schumacher acknowledges he’ll have to earn his place in Formula 1 saying his surname does not matter.
The soon-to-be 21-year-old first caught the eye in 2018, winning the European F3 championship with a late surge, earning his promotion to F2 with Prema for last year.
After also joining the Ferrari Academy at the start of 2019, Schumacher’s first season in the F1 feeder category would be disappointing with only occasional flashes of his potential but ultimately ending 12th in the championship.
As a result, Mick is under pressure to perform and challenge for the title this year in F2 and he knows that is exactly what he needs to do.
“I am aware that if I want to become a Formula 1 driver, I have to perform well in junior categories such as Formula 2,” he told Argentinian publication Infobae.
“No junior driver reaches F1 because their last name matters and that [reaching F1] is not a guarantee.”
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As a Ferrari junior though, a seat at Alfa Romeo is considered a strong possibility if Schumacher does do well but he is trying to put that though aside.
“That’s something I don’t think about right now,” he said. “I am fully focused on the 2020 F2 season, which is very important to me.
“This is the challenge that I am taking right now and I want to do well. I can’t wait for the season to start.
“What happens after that is something we can discuss at some point in the future.”
Finally, as the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, Mick’s performance is always scrutinised and, although unfairly, compared to his father.
Asked if that bothered him, however, he replied: “Not at all. My father is, in my eyes, the best racing driver of all time and if people compare me to him, I am very proud.”