‘What would you be when you weren’t a Formula 1 driver?’
It appears as if the very idea by no means even occurred to him. His inexperienced eyes start to dart frantically backward and forward as if considering an audacious double-overtake into Turn 1.
He hesitates earlier than finally blurting out: “Racing elsewhere.. I suppose?”
‘What when you weren’t in motorsport in any respect?’
Another pause, earlier than he can solely joke: “Racing folks on the streets, or no matter..?”
When you’re the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, it’s comprehensible if following his footsteps into the cockpit of the planet’s quickest race automobiles has at all times felt like your future.
An equally understandable plan of action is likely to be to steer away from the pressures and expectations that include the load of the Schumacher identify and the staggering seven world championships hooked up to it.
But when racing is so deeply ingrained in your DNA that the very prospect of doing the rest is unfathomable, there was just one highway Mick was ever going to take.
However, following his championship-winning success in each Formula 3 and Formula 2, his first foray into the top of motorsport with Haas F1 was one thing of a blended bag.
He didn’t register a degree in his rookie season however constantly out-performed team-mate Nikita Mazepin.
And whereas he scored 12 factors in his second marketing campaign, together with a powerful P6 in Austria, new team-mate Kevin Magnussen doubled that tally. A collection of expensive crashes additionally contributed to Haas deciding to exchange him with returning veteran Nico Hulkenberg for the 2023 season.
However, Schumacher isn’t straying too removed from the motion and is wanting ahead to creating a major contribution to Mercedes’ efforts this yr.
“Because I’ve raced final yr’s automobile, I’ve a a lot better understanding of the tyre mannequin and in addition the automobile mannequin,” the German driver factors out.
“So that’s one thing I can suggestions instantly into the simulator and draw that direct comparability.
“Hopefully, throughout the yr I’ll be capable to pick some moments and assist the drivers if I see one thing.”
The undeniable fact that he’s landed at Mercedes at this cut-off date feels serendipitous as effectively. Both him and the group are within the strategy of getting again on observe.
With regard to that, Mercedes and the tradition they’ve inculcated over the previous decade that introduced complete dominance within the turbo-hybrid period, is maybe precisely the place Schumacher must be.
He recognises how the group stands aside with how they function and has nice respect for the form of mentality that fuels their drive for fulfillment.
“I believe the skilled facet undoubtedly stands out. How they method a race weekend but additionally simply small issues like media occasions is wonderful.
“You actually recognise why they’ve been capable of get eight constructors championships in a row. That actually reveals the mentality and the way they’re capable of constantly put within the work and energy.”
Still solely 23, Schumacher may have earned invaluable expertise throughout a testing time at Haas and realized classes that may little question maintain him in good stead transferring ahead.
New alternatives will current themselves and Schumacher is set to grab them wholeheartedly.
“My aim is to be again in a automobile as quickly as I can and again on the grid.”
For somebody so single-minded of their ambitions, that appears inevitable.
And, as has been well-established, there’s actually nothing else he’d somewhat do.
