Mick Schumacher’s 2020 season should have started in March in Bahrain. But after the Formula 2 tests with Prema, it was over for the time being – because of the corona pandemic. The Ferrari junior also had to be patient. The company representative of the US sporting goods manufacturer Under Armor had a lot of time to think about his career.
«If you spoke to my family and close friends, they would say – Mick can’t stand losing, in no situation. It doesn’t matter what it is, a simple game, a race to a tree or thumb rings », said the 21-year-old German.
«Of course I have also experienced losses and setbacks. Injuries and pain taught me that you can lose with your head held high, with class. Losing offers the chance to learn how to deal with mistakes. Defeats provide the essential information you need to understand that you have to improve in every aspect. If you never lose, you won’t learn anything. If you don’t learn anything, you will never win. »
“I realized early on that I wanted to be a Formula 1 driver. I first sat in a go-kart when I was three years old, and I got into national racing when I was eight. When I was eleven or twelve I knew I wanted to do it professionally. At the beginning I used different names to be able to race unrecognized without being too exposed to the label ‘the son of’. »
«But frankly, I don’t feel any pressure to bear this family name. Most of the stress comes from myself. I can fully understand my father’s popularity. After all, the year after I was born, he won the first of five Formula 1 World Championships in a row, I still think that’s unbelievable. But I never saw my father as the greatest driver in the world. In the first place, he’s just my father. »
«I don’t take the lessons he gave me for granted. One of these lessons is to stay constant, never to be too euphoric or depressed. Even back in 2018 when I was 10th in the Formula 3 series after race 15. Even then I never had any doubt that this would be my year. »
«I was well on my way to training and I rushed to work. I just had to stay on course and put pressure on. The emotions of the win at Spa-Francorchamps continued to spur us on, and in the end we took seven more wins and won the title. The key to success was believing in the work we had already done. »
In 2019, Mick Schumacher was twelfth overall after his promotion to Formula 3 in Formula 2. He paid a lot of tuition, especially when dealing with the tires.
Mick continues: «The past year in Formula 2 was tough, but that’s the sport. You win, you lose, you learn and improve. In Formula 2, the car is much heavier, with a completely different driving behavior. It creates a lot of centrifugal forces. You can’t afford to get tired. »
«This means that my physical training had to be continuously refined – and with the help of my partner Under Armor, I am able to concentrate more on the essential elements of my preparations. This applies to training inside and outside the gym. You can recognize a racing driver by his stature: an upper body like that of a rugby player and from the waist down like an 800-meter sprinter. »
«For the second year in Formula 2, the main thing for me will be to limit mistakes and better assess risks. I know that this year is a significant year for my development and my progress. I’m ready.”
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