Mick Schumacher proud to follow in his father’s footsteps as he prepares to make F1 debut

Formula One’s newest superstar Mick Schumacher has spoken of his pride at bringing the sport’s most famous name back to the grid, nine years on from his father’s retirement.

Michael Schumacher, until Lewis Hamilton matched him last year, was F1’s most successful ever driver, winning seven world championships, and now his son Mick is preparing to follow in his footsteps after signing a deal with Haas.

This weekend will see the 21-year-old compete in his first F1 race in Bahrain – at the same age his father made his debut – and Schumacher Jnr was quick to speak about his pride ahead of his debut. 

Schumacher, pictured during testing last week, is following in his famous father’s footsteps

Asked how he is going to handle carrying his father’s legacy, he told the BBC: ‘It is motivation and pride. I am happy to be here… I am happy to have brought back the Schumacher name into F1.

‘I have done it with championships on my back so we have proven I am able to drive a race car. So I don’t feel a blink of pressure from it.’

Schumacher was behind the wheel for pre-season testing at the same circuit earlier this month, but the real hard work starts this weekend with the first race of the 2021 season.

He is driving at a struggling Haas alongside fellow newbie Nikita Mazepin, with the pair having replaced Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean. 

‘It’s an amazing feeling being with the team and knowing this is it and I’m getting close to my first race in F1,’ Schumacher continued. ‘I got my pass – you know, the proper red F1 pass – and I was like, “Woah!”

‘I remember seeing my dad having one and I was always, like, I wanted one, but obviously I didn’t get one. I have one now and it’s amazing and I am really looking forward to it.’

 Michael Schumacher had an incredibly rich career in which he won seven F1 drivers’ titles

Mick and Michael pictured together. The former is taking to F1 nine years after his dad left

Schumacher made an emotional decision at the start of the season to continue with his father’s legacy, opting for ‘MSC’ on the timing screens rather than the expected ‘SCH’.

During his father’s time in F1, there was another Schumacher on the grid – Ralf – and therefore ‘SCH’ wasn’t available, with Michael opting to take on ‘MSC’ instead.

Mick, of course, is now the only Schumacher in the sport and therefore had his pick of the initials – but opted to stick with his father’s lettering and use ‘MSC’. 

‘It’s quite emotional for me to see “MSC” on the timing screen again,’ he said during pre-season testing. ‘It’s a special bond I have to it, and I hope it’s nice for everybody to see it there.’

Mick Schumacher speaks to the media in Bahrain ahead of the first race of the 2021 season

Michael Schumacher suffered devastating brain injuries in a skiing accident in 2013 and he has not been seen publicly since. The family have been guarded with details on his condition

Mick’s father Michael retired in 2012, but suffered a serious brain injury in a skiing accident a year later. 

The Ferrari icon hit his head on a rock going off-piste down a mountain and was later airlifted to hospital. 

He went through two rounds of surgery before being placed into a medically-induced coma for six months. 

Now back home in Geneva, Switzerland, updates on his condition have been a closely guarded secret by the family, although a new documentary set to be released in the coming months could shed some light on his health.