Sainz relates to Mick Schumacher's 'famous name' burden

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Carlos Sainz knows all about the prejudice that comes from a famous name, the McLaren admitting he "feels" for Mick Schumacher but insisting the young German is in a good place.

The pressure surrounding the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher ramped up this year following the 20-year-old Formula 2 racer's test with Ferrari in Bahrain.

While a famous family name can undoubtedly open many doors, it also puts a burden of expectations on its bearer.

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Sainz - the son of two-time world rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr - relates to Mick Schumacher's plight, but the Spaniard turned his own situation into a positive condition.

"When I was go-karting, especially, I just felt a lot of people were looking at me and my results and the way I was going," he said.

"A lot of kids, racing drivers were just focusing a bit more on me because of being ‘the son of’.

"It’s something I ended up embracing and getting used to. Although at the time it was tough.

"I just tried to take the positives from it. Having a double world champion as a father it made me a better driver today.

"I think [Schumacher’s] getting a lot of attention these few last weeks because of the F1 test and that’s why I feel for him. But sometimes media attention is also not bad. I think he’s in a good place right now."

Sainz disliked the biased judgement associated with his name for the extra motivation it produced for his rivals early in his career.

But a pep talk from his father one day taught him to become more aggressive and command respect.

"Kids sometimes are a bit mean," explained the McLaren driver.

"You want to beat that guy, I want to beat the son of Carlos Sainz more than any other one because maybe his father is watching or more people are watching.

"When I was a kid, definitely that was a thing that I didn’t like.

"Until my dad told me ‘either you fight or you get beaten’, when he told me that I realised I need to start fighting a bit more, if not I’m going to get beaten too often.

"Suddenly I started being a bit more aggressive and I started earning a bit more respect because I didn’t realise I was being a bit too nice, maybe, a bit too friendly with everyone, just wanting to get everyone’s approval.

"I started being a bit more aggressive and it was better, definitely."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.