Ahead of Mick Schumacher’s FP1 debut at the Eifel Grand Prix weekend, Sebastian Vettel has praised the son of his racing hero: Michael Schumacher.
Mick, who is currently leading the Formula 2 World Championship, is poised to make the next step up the ladder to Formula 1 in 2021 and, to help him prepare, he will be driving for Alfa Romeo on Friday morning practice – the team he could well join on a full-time basis next year.
Speaking on Formula 1’s ‘Beyond The Grid’ podcast, Vettel was asked about Mick after witnessing him take Michael’s Ferrari F2004, one of Vettel’s all-time favourite Formula 1 cars, for some laps around the Mugello circuit ahead of the Tuscan Grand Prix.
“To see him in his father’s car, on that day, on that weekend was sort of surreal,” he said.
“I really like him as well. He is just a nice young man. Knowing who his father was and knowing what his father was to me, it was very special.
“Certainly the situation as it is now is very difficult for him but I think he is coping with it in a very mature way, which you wouldn’t expect from a man that is just a bit over 20.”
Mick Schumacher took his father's title-winning F2004 around Mugello! ??
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Mick Schumacher, himself, is looking forward to his FP1 outing at the Nurburgring on Friday, but is hoping the wet weather stays away.
“Currently it looks like it is going to be wet,” Schumacher told RTL.
“I think every time I tested a new car, it was always wet. Always!
“We need to see if we are able to drive first. Unfortunately F1 teams only get a limited amount of tyres to use.
“Hopefully it won‘t be too wet so that we can drive at least a little bit. Otherwise it is more waiting than driving. Hopefully we can do some laps.
“I have a lot of respect for it [the FP1 outing]. It is the first time driving in front of all team principals, bosses, CEOs, in front of all teams.
“I will try to do what I can, show what I know and concentrate on myself, trying to do my very best.
“I will try to give the team as much as data as possible because it is a race weekend for them.”
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