Mick Schumacher admits he couldn’t stop smiling as he drove his father’s 2004 Ferrari around Hockenheim this past weekend.
With Formula 2 not included in the German Grand Prix schedule, race organisers put on the demonstration in an effort to capitalise on the excitement the 20-year-old has generated in the country.
And if his first outing on Saturday was a sight to behold, then to watch the son of F1’s rain-meister take Michael’s car for a spin in the wet was truly iconic.
“I just wanted to go out and I just wanted to drive,” Schumacher admitted. “Obviously having to wait, even in front of the pit exit, was more like torture. I just wanted to turn [the lights] myself and go out.
“Going out of the pitlane and coming into the pitlane I never lost a smile. It was always on my face. Even when I was locking up, I was smiling! It was really cool.
“It was great. It was amazing to be able to drive the car around here especially. It was my dad’s seat and I fitted perfectly. So that even made it greater.”
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A reminder of the old V10 roar around Hockenheim only made the outing more special, and may well have been the highlight of the weekend had the race not been so memorable.
But having now driven three F1 cars from three different eras, Schumacher is uniquely placed to offer a comparison.
“I’ve been able to witness how they were 15 years apart now, with the 1994 [Benetton], the 2004 [Ferrari] and obviously the 2019 one,” he commented.
“In general I think the development between 1994 and 2004 was a huge step and then obviously now again there has been an even bigger step.
“To be able to drive the V10, and feel how that one behaved and sounded, was something very special.
“People asked me if I could hear them but I said that the V10 engine was a bit loud, so it was hard for me to hear them.”
