The Schumacher name in Formula One could be considered akin to the esteem the Kennedy family once held in American politics. Michael Schumacher is considered by many as the greatest F1 driver of all time and his time at Ferrari saw the Italian team for the first time win an unprecedented 6 consecutive manufacturer’s titles.

While some F1 observers believes Mick only gained his F1 shot with Haas due to the family name, this is a harsh assessment. 

 

 

Schumacher a slow starter

Schumacher junior joined F3 in 2017 and was average at best though the following year as he continued driving for Prema his slow start to 2018 eventually saw him take his first victory at the 15th race of the year in Belgium.

Before this race, he sat in 10th place in the championship, 67 points behind the maverick championship leader Dan Ticktum. However, Schumacher dominated the latter half of the season, taking seven more wins, including five consecutively. He ended the season as champion, 57 points clear of 2nd-placed Ticktum.

His final tally was eight wins, fourteen total podium finishes, seven pole positions, and four fastest laps.

Mick moved up to F2 in 2019 and as in his first season in F3 he was average at best finishing there season mid table in the driver’s championship.

Then again in year two of the series, Schumacher flourished with Prema in the 2020 FIA F2 Championship. Again early season events were grim pickings for Mick as in the feature race at Austria, he went off while battling Callum Illot for the race lead. 

 

 

Mick lucks in at final round

In the second round at the same circuit, his fire extinguisher went off in the sprint race. 

However Mick bounced back in Hungary In Hungary with a double podium and the Sch7macher portage then went on a run of 5 consecutive podiums from Spain to Monza, including a win in the Feature race in Italy.

Mick then took the Championship lead at Mugello and he won the feature race at the next round in Russia together with a third place in the sprint race on the coast of the black sea.

In Bahrain Mick qualified in 10th and rose to fourth in the Feature race. He finished seventh in the Sprint race. As a result, Callum Ilott was able to bring the deficit down to 14 points going into the final round on the Outer Track at the same venue.

Schumacher then qualified a career-worst 18th following an incident with Roy Nissany but produced a great recovery drive to sixth together with the fastest lap.

The title was decided in Schumacher’s favour in spectacularly disappointing fashion. Both Illot and Schumacher made poor tyre choice decisions and finished outside the points confirming Mick as F2 champion for 2022.

 

 

F1 calls for Schumacher

The son of the F1 legend Michael Schumacher was recruited by Haas F1 for the 2021 season though the circumstances which led to this were less than ideal. 

Haas F1 Team boss had always been adamant the way forward for the newest F1 team on the grid was to employ experienced drivers. Yet following a spat with Gene Haas who refused to put any more Monet into the team, Gunther Steiner found his hand forced.

He had to sack Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen and recruit drivers with more cash support behind them. Enter Nikita Mazapin, son of Russian billionaire Oligarch and Mick Schumacher financially supporte4d by sponsor 1&1.

Fo0r a variety of reasons the 2021 season was an utter fail for Haas F1 and this was partly down to the fact the team had recruited two rookie drivers who knew jack S*%t about competing in Formula One.

 

 

Haas F1 ditches rookie driver

Whilst the world has suffered a global economic shock from Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022, Haas F1 boss Steiner was dealt a surprise winning hand as Formula One banned his inexperienced Russian driver.

This saw Steiner call on their ex-driver Kevin Magnussen to return to the team and deliver spectacular results. The Dane outscored his German team mate by 2-1 in the same equipment which saw Haas F1 finish P8 in the constructors’ championship.

This proved to be the death knell for young Mick given a team mate in equal equipment and yeast 2 of his F1 adventure, the son of the F1 legend was found severely wanting.

Haas F1 strung Schumacher flog for half of the 2022 season suggesting his results would determine his future. The reality was that Gunther Steiner always preferred to have an experienced driver pairing in his line up and Schumacher was finished with there American owned team as Nico Hulkenberg was named has Mick’s replacement for 2023.

 

 

K-Mag on F1 returns

As the dust has settled on the Haas F1 drama, Kevin Magnussen has empathised with former team-mate but expects he’ll be back on the grid in future.

Magnussen knows all to well how it is to be ousted from an F1 team as happened to him as Haas F1 decided to chase the dollar and recruit Mazepin and Schumacher.

“I certainly know what it’s like [to be] in his position right now,” Magnussen says.

“But I also, you know, I feel like when I’m patting him on the shoulder saying ‘keep at it’, then it also has some weight.

“I’ve come back twice to the sport. I’ve shown that nobody knows; you can never say never in the sport, and that’s really a reason to hang in there.

 

 

Mick Schumacher: “we’ll see him back”

Magnussen also offered some advice to his former colleague.“Keep training. Keep positive. Stay close to whatever team he’s going to be involved with,” he said.

“He’s got a team behind him who’s going to work hard for him.

“I’m quite positive that we’ll see him back on the grid, I think.

“It’s hard to give much better advice.”

Mick Schumacher has been linked with a reserve driver role for Mercedes following glowing comments from Toto Wolff.

“Mick is someone that has always been close to our heart because of [his father] Michael and the whole Schumacher family,” Wolff explained to media in Abu Dhabi.

“Ralf was in DTM for a long time with us, his son [David, Mick’s cousin] races Mercedes in GTs, and [Mick] is an intelligent, well-mannered young man.

 

 

Wolff wants Mick in Mercedes stable

“He’s been very successful in junior formulas, and we believe that we can look after him if the situation were to happen.

“He is someone that just fits the team, but we haven’t put pen to paper.

“We haven’t really come anywhere close to any terms.

“I’m saying that openly because I think he just fits and now we need to make it happen – if he wants to, if [Schumacher’s manager] Sabine [Kehm] wants to and then we will see where that goes.”

So for now, the Schumacher name and heritage in Formula One appears to be keeping Mick’s dreams of a top team drive alive.

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