Mick Schumacher has again brushed off the pressure of following his father Michael, insisting he has always wanted to be compared to the best.
The son of the seven-time Formula 1 champion will make his debut in Formula 2 next weekend alongside the Bahrain Grand Prix and showed a glimpse of his potential by leading the pre-season test in Jerez in last year.
And speaking in a video preview posted by his Prema team on YouTube, Schumacher offered an insight into his preparations.
“Well, I guess like many racing drivers we train a lot, a bit of surfing, running, biking and a lot of gym, neck training and the special parts we had to do to be 100% prepared,” he explained.
“I feel 110% prepared, so that’s very good and I just feel very motivated to get back into the car now.”
While most are hoping Schumacher’s stay in F2 is a brief one before stepping up to F1, Mick didn’t even mention title talk as he laid out his goal.
“My goal for this year – even more so this year – is to learn as much as possible, to gather all the information around me, work with as many people as I can to be able to learn from everyone,” he explained.
“It’s going to be a bit of a different challenge this year, we have a lot more people surrounding the car, so that’s going to be nice and different and very special.
“To build a bond [with the team] will be very important, especially at the beginning of the year.”
The 19-year-old then talked about some of the differences he has seen after moving up from the European F3 last year.
“The F2 car itself looks a lot more aggressive in one way, it looks a lot faster than the F3. It has more pointy edges, and a special size because it’s very big, the car and looks a lot closer to an F1 car, so that’s something that is good to see on the track,” he said,
“You have to understand the tyres 100% and you can be sure you will do a good job so I think that will be the most difficult part and also to grow in.”
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At the start of 2019, Schumacher also announced he has joined the Ferrari Academy, a move that might see him drive an Alfa Romeo F1 car at the post-race test in Bahrain.
“I can learn so much from Ferrari because they have so much experience and I will want to work with them to achieve the maximum I can,” he said.
“The first impressions I had from Ferrari was very heart-opening, welcoming me in a family which was always part of my family, so the combination of both was very, very positive and I’m very happy.”
As his profile continues to grow and grow, however, expectations of Mick living up to Michael’s legacy will only continue to grow with it.
“Being compared to my father was never a problem for me,” he insisted. “It’s pretty simple, for me being compared to the best driver in F1 history is the goal to achieve.
“To have that as my idol, and my father is something very special. I feel honoured to be compared to him because I can just learn and try to improve.”
