Schumacher anecdote

Mick emotional: “What my father did, I do too”

Mick Schumacher (left) has spoken about his relationship with dad Michael.

(Bild: AFP, krone.at-mrgrafik)

Mick Schumacher also spoke to author Matt Whyman about his relationship with dad Michael on the occasion of his book "Inside Mercedes F1". The Formula 1 legend always supported him, but sometimes it was also a challenge, says the 25-year-old, who emphasizes: "I was a crazy kid. The motto was: anything my father did, I would do too." 

Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public since his life-changing skiing accident in 2013. His family shields the Formula 1 legend from prying eyes and ears. Since then, the so-called "inner circle" has also kept a low profile with interviews. However, as the Sun reports, son Mick has now spoken to a writer about his relationship with his father.

The 25-year-old confirms that his father has always had a big influence on his life. "I was a crazy kid. The motto was: everything my father did, I'll do too." But he ultimately had to find his way into professional racing on his own. "The year after the accident, I started driving in the formula class, and from then on I had to stand on my own two feet."

The interaction with his father was always characterized by an interplay between fun and challenge. However, he was always able to rely on his support. The 25-year-old underlines this point with an anecdote. "I once braked very late in a corner during a kart race and lost a lot of time as a result. When I told him about it, he said: 'Yes, but you should have braked like that in every corner!" 

Setbacks for comeback plans
Whenever Schumacher had the impression that his son wasn't taking racing seriously enough, he insisted, Mick recalls: "He always asked: 'Would you rather go and play soccer with your friends? If so, then we don't need to do all this". But Mick really wanted to: "I insisted that I wanted to race, and he said: 'Okay, let's do it properly then'. So we started driving more European karts and I got better and better."

The 25-year-old has since made his own way into racing, although there have been a few setbacks recently and a comeback to Formula 1 is now a distant prospect.