Mick Schumacher is unbelievably calm for somebody carrying such a weight of expectation. You may even say unreasonably calm.

He’s set to make his System One debut with American crew Haas this 12 months, aged 21, but it surely seems like individuals have been anticipating large issues of him for a very long time. It’s hardly shocking given his surname.

Schumacher is the son of seven-time world champion Michael, one of many best racing drivers of all time. Till Lewis Hamilton’s achievements final 12 months, Michael’s 91 grand prix wins had been unmatched by anybody.

The burden created by a well-known relative has damage loads of racing careers. Bruno Senna by no means got here near dwelling as much as Ayrton’s quote, “if you happen to suppose I am quick, wait till you see my nephew”; in NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr spent years struggling beneath the load of carrying his father’s unbelievable legacy.

Mick Schumacher comes with comparable hype and expectation. He’s the spitting picture of his father, for one factor, and he sounds remarkably comparable — if you happen to shut your eyes and take heed to an interview, you would be forgiven for considering you might be listening to a younger Michael.

Schumacher is backed by the Ferrari crew his dad received 5 championships with, which helped safe his drive with Haas, a Ferrari engine buyer and technical companion. He is examined for the well-known Italian crew and finally 12 months’s Tuscan Grand Prix, Ferrari’s a thousandth race, he drove his dad’s title-winning 2004 automotive in a promotional run. It was an unbelievable second.

To cap issues off, forward of his debut at this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix Schumacher requested the ‘MSC’ initials utilized by his father on F1’s official timing screens.

It’s tough to cease this story tugging on the heartstrings. However, maybe as a result of it has at all times been there, Schumacher appears completely unfazed by all of it.

When requested if his surname has ever felt like a burden, he informed ESPN: “No, positively not.

“I am very pleased to have it. I drive and racing as a result of I really like the game and love what I am doing. I do not see it as a burden, no.

“Clearly for me it is no completely different because it’s at all times been round and I really feel very comfy within the place I’m in. I am very proud carrying the identify into System One once more and having the ability to race and really feel my efficiency.

“I hold it and put on it very proudly.”

After all, there’s one other layer to this story past the son of a legendary driver making his debut.

Michael Schumacher’s present medical situation stays a intently guarded secret. He suffered a critical mind harm whereas snowboarding along with his son in December 2013. Official updates on his situation are uncommon.

Sadly, unofficial updates — these from so-called mates of the household or individuals with a tenuous hyperlink to the scenario — are usually not so uncommon. Years of sensationalist reviews in tabloid newspapers, and from some retailers which actually ought to know higher, have solely hardened the Schumacher household’s need to maintain delicate particulars out of the general public eye.

With that context, the household is understandably delicate about placing Schumacher within the firing line with regards to media interviews. That explains why household spokesperson Sabine Kehm sat in our Zoom interview, albeit with audio and video switched off.

Kehm was Michael’s PR supervisor for a lot of his profession and has been the one to problem any statements on his situation since December 2013. An excellent rule of thumb is that any story on Michael’s situation which doesn’t function a quote from Kehm may be handled with a level of suspicion.

Having a crew communications consultant sit in on an interview shouldn’t be uncommon in F1, however that is completely different. The Schumachers may be forgiven for eager to go towards the norm.

Kehm is protecting of the rookie and makes positive questions don’t enterprise wherever close to that matter.

In any case, Schumacher is only a younger man attempting to forge out his personal profession. From the start, he was decided to not enter F1 on the idea of his dad’s fame — he began racing beneath his mom’s maiden identify, Betsch — or just as a feel-good story following his dad’s accident.

Ferrari has helped Schumacher’s profession thus far however he has backed up their assist with outcomes on the race monitor.

He received the System 3 championship in 2018 after which received F1’s official feeder class, System 2, in 2020. Whereas some doubters stay, some who level to a weaker F2 discipline in 2020, for instance, it is tough to argue towards these achievements on paper. He is performed all the things that has been requested of him up to now.

Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo are among the many drivers who arrived in F1 with much less pedigree by way of junior championship victories to their names.

“It form of proves to myself that I’m able to drive, which is nice!” Schumacher jokes, in reference to these two championships.

Even by his personal admission, it took some time for Schumacher’s expertise to indicate itself . He credit his father’s recommendation for serving to him, however admitted it took some time for all the things to click on into place.

“There are at all times suggestions and methods and dialogue change that [he] tried to show me on the time,” Mick says of his father. “In go-karting I did not actually perceive it as a result of it did not make a lot sense to me, I used to be attempting various things and possibly wasn’t on the stage however nonetheless achieved the issues I wished to attain in karting.

“The second I went to System vehicles all the things made sense out of the blue, I had the very best trainer and I am pleased to have made all of it the way in which now. I am pleased to be right here.”

These early classes clearly had an impression. When Schumacher describes his personal race craft it’s straightforward to see shades of the traits which outlined his father.

“Already again in karting I used to be excellent at analysing what was happening round me. So, principally if I noticed a spot I would not suppose a lot about it, I might simply most likely drive into and see what occurred afterwards.

“More often than not it occurred to be the correct alternative so I feel that is one among my strengths, I might name, in that case.”

Schumacher is fast to minimize expectations for his rookie 12 months. Not solely is he racing for the backmarking Haas crew, he goes into his first season with restricted monitor time.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, F1 whittled down preseason testing from six days in 2020 to simply three this 12 months, which Schumacher needed to break up with new teammate Nikita Mazepin.

“I might be able to go racing tomorrow,” Schumacher mentioned forward of his remaining stint within the automotive. “I’ve to say it feels even higher driving this automotive than I anticipated. You drive a automotive however… that is actually enjoyable.

“It’s not one thing I’ll rapidly get tired of, so trying ahead to driving extra tomorrow, and the race can’t come fast sufficient. So I am actually trying ahead to the season. I might like to drive every single day. I may put in one other eight days and go straight into the race weekend.”

The quantity 47

As of 2014, F1 drivers now choose one driver to accompany them all through their profession. Schumacher has chosen quantity 47.

Though it’s not the official motive, he likes the fan concept that it stands for the very fact he’s racing “for seven” – seven being his father’s variety of titles. That’s the reason he selected that second digit and the 4 is the quantity he raced and received with in System 3.

As 4 (Lando Norris) and 7 (Kimi Raikkonen) are taken, 47 grew to become the pure choose. Forty-seven can be the sum of all of the birthdays in his fast household added collectively.

“It was pure for me to decide on it… there have been too many coincidences which weren’t perhaps coincidences! I am proud of it and I am glad it wasn’t taken, I feel it appears to be like nice on the automotive”.

Schumacher likes the concept of future and destiny round his debut 12 months. In the course of the interview he factors out that his rookie marketing campaign strains up with the 30-year anniversary of his father’s debut on the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix.

It additionally coincides with the return of his father’s previous rival, Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard’s comeback means the grid will function a Schumacher, an Alonso, a Vettel and a Hamilton – surnames accounting for a mixed 20 world championships — for the primary time since 2012.