Mick Schumacher is downplaying any expectations of matching his father Michael, insisting he’s just grateful to be in Formula 1.
The 2021 Haas driver is making the step up as Formula 2 champion after a summer of remarkable consistency saw him overcome a highly competitive grid of up and coming talent.
It marks a major moment in the 21-year-old’s career, which has been closely followed since using the Schumacher name, having competed under his mother’s surname while karting.
But when it comes to claims that Mick has only got to where he is because he’s a Schumacher, the German has a simple response.
“At the end, I’m the one driving the car, it’s not my name driving me,” he told BBC Sport.
“Obviously the name does open a lot of doors, a lot of contacts but none of those people are racing for me.
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“I’m doing this because I want to do this, because I love the sport, the adrenaline of driving fast, of coming out on top at the end.
“I don’t have any problem with being compared because I know why I’m doing it.
“I want to go far in this sport, I want to put my footsteps same as my dad wanted to.”
The general view on F1’s newest Schumacher is that, despite his achievements, he still has some work to go to be put in the same bracket as Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc in terms of future world champions.
But when it comes to living up to his father’s legacy, Mick is very, very realistic.
“I’m sure nobody goes into this sport saying I’m going to win everything and I’m going to be a seven-time World Champion,” he continued.
“It’s something you cannot say, it is obviously a dream, something you want to achieve but you can’t say this is what will happen because you know there are so many things in this sport that can happen that you have to be ready for.
“To be honest I’m just grateful to be in it and to be able to set my first footmarks, do my first races and see where the path leads me.
“If it does happen to be a very successful one, I’ll be over the moon. If it doesn’t, I still managed to get into F1 and do what I enjoy the most.”
Of course, one man closely aligned to Michael’s success is current F1 motorsport boss Ross Brawn, who worked with Schumacher throughout his career.
And the Briton has also been closely following his son’s rise through the ranks.
“Mick is doing an amazing job under those circumstances, and with that famous name,” he told the F1 Nation podcast. “It opens doors, but it brings a lot of weight with it as well. The whole family is a great family, and a lovely family and I really hope Mick can succeed.”
Brawn though echoed previous comments by Sebastian Vettel, admitting seeing Schumacher Jr reach F1 is a reminder of Michael’s current situation, still recovering from the skiing accident he suffered in 2013.
“Obviously it’s going to be exciting particularly with Mick coming in, which I have a lot of enthusiasm and passion for, so that’s going to be good,” he said.
“But I think it reminds us of the tragedy of Michael’s accident, because, how wonderful it would have been if Michael was able to participate in that.
“I mean, none of us know how much Michael is able to understand. But if he’d been part of that – and let’s hope and pray that one day, he might be – that would be very, very special.”