Schumacher's manager backs Mick to succeed in F1

Michael Schumacher's long-time manager Sabine Kehm has said that the seven-time world champion's son Mick has what it takes to succeed in Formula 1.

She said that she believes Mick can follow in his father's footsteps and one day claim the world championship for himself.

“I am sure that Mick will end up in Formula 1 sooner or later," she told Die Welt newspaper this week. "Although I hope it’s the former!"

"I am convinced that he will do very well there," she continued. "He's already done a great job.

• Ex-Mercedes man Fry says Schumacher family should break silence

"I can only conclude that Mick will be able to realise his dream of becoming a world champion," she added.

Schumacher clinched last year's FIA European F3 title with a fantastic run of back-to-back wins to overhaul longtime series leader Dan Ticktum and was signed up to the Ferrari Driver Academy.

But he's had a harder time since moving to Formula 2 in 2019. Although he was victorious in the Hungary sprint event, he's failed to finish in five of the most recent six races.

As a result Schumacher is only 12th in the drivers standings with just 51 points for Prema, compared to ART's Nyck de Vries who clinched the title at Sochi on 266 points with one round still to go.

"Mick has had a very unlucky season," Kehm admitted. "I sympathise with him. He has struggled with an incredible amount of bad luck. And of course, he also still has a lot to learn.

"But Mick is very good at analysing things, learning the right lessons and then making adjustments," she said, sticking to her view that he would make it all the way to the top of F1.

However, the raised expectations of carrying the Schumacher name can undoubtedly be a heavy burden in motorsport, as much as it's also a great honour. It's why Mick initially started his racing career under the pseudonym of Mick Betsch

"Before I entered the Formula series I always used my mother's name," Schumacher told the Road to F1 podcast this month.

"That ensured that the hype was somewhat suppressed and that I had the time to develop," he explained. "It also gave me the opportunity to learn at my own speed. That was very positive for me."

But even then it was hard to keep the secret under wraps.

"If photos were taken, I was always the person who kindly asked if they would not do that so that we could safeguard privacy.

“Did I drive with more freedom when I had my mother's name on the car? I wouldn't call it that," he said.

He also used the name Mick Junior, but eventually reached the point where he had to 'go public'.

"From the moment I drove in the Formulas, it was a good time to consider putting my real name on the car," he said.

He's not getting used to being in the spotlight, including a demonstration run in his father's F2004 at Hockenheim this summer.

“It was a strange feeling,” he told Autoweek. “Obviously I had never experienced something like that before. That was just a little bit of what my dad experienced.

"It was hard for me to imagine how it must have been for him, but it was nice. You really feel the vibe and the support of the people.”

And the experience has only made him hungrier to make it into F1.

“Sure, I think about it,” he said. “That’s my dream. It’s where I want to go, and that’s where I want to basically live my life.

“I feel ready,” he added.

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