Mick Schumacher says he had to “find his own feet” on his journey to Formula 1 after his dad Michael’s accident in 2013.
Schumacher Snr., 55, suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident in Meribel, France, in December 2013.
The seven-time F1 world champion’s health condition has been shrouded in secrecy in the years since, with his wife Corinna insistent on protecting his privacy as he continues to recover.
Mick, meanwhile, made his debut in F1 in 2021 and since 2023 has been a reserve driver at Mercedes and in a new book – Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane – the 25-year-old spoke about his life before his father’s accident and afterwards.
“I was a crazy kid – everything my dad did, I did,’ Schumacher said.
“He was really supportive and a lot of fun, but could also be challenging. One time in a karting race I braked very late going into a corner and gained a lot of time. When I told him about it, he said, ‘Yes, but you should have braked like that in every corner!’
“I started racing in the Formula classes the year after (the accident) and from that point onwards, I had to find my own feet.
“But I definitely learned a lot of technical points from him that I still use today, as well as from his coaching. And I have always been very resilient.”
Jean Todt, who worked with Michael Schumacher during his historic five titles in a row at Ferrari from 2000-2004, has been the most regular source of updates about the German, admitting in the past he has watched F1 races with Schumacher and, last year, the Frenchman spoke out about the Ferrari legend again.
“Michael is here, so I don’t miss him,” Todt told L’Equipe in 2023.
“[But he] is simply not the Michael he used to be. He is different and is wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him.
“His life is different now and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him. That’s all there is to say.
“Unfortunately, fate struck him ten years ago. He is no longer the Michael we knew in Formula 1.”
Todt has a close relationship with the Schumacher family, revealing in 2022 he has seen the German three times a week on some occasions and adding that he is in the “best of hands… surrounded by people who love him.”
Mick, meanwhile, drove for Haas F1 for two years before being dropped at the end of the 2022 season following a difficult campaign and a few expensive crashes.
Schumacher told The Independent in June that he is “really hungry” to carve a route back into F1 as a first choice over other motorsport competitions.
However, any route back into the sport next year seems to have evaporated now that Sauber have signed F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto.
“There’s a lot which hasn’t been seen yet, especially from a driving point of view,” Schumacher said.
“It’s never been a secret, my goal is to be back on the grid. I’ve shown in multiple ways that I am capable of winning championships. It’s just a matter of it fitting into somebody’s schedule, does it fit into their plan?
“I understand how I could have improved [at Haas], and there’s a lot more to show from my side. It’s all about, what do you want in your team right now? Do you want somebody who you can build a team around? Good for marketing? Purely shut up and drive? There are so many different types of drivers.
“As for me, I’m really hungry for it. I just need to keep performing in WEC (World Endurance Championship), showing everybody what I can do. Then people will know what they get if they hire me, and hopefully I’ll be able to prove to everybody that they made the wrong decision in not keeping me.”
Schumacher will compete alongside Sebastian Vettel in the 2025 Race of Champions in Sydney in March.
