Schumacher feared pandemic would lead to lost season

Mick Schumacher feared that his second campaign in Formula 2 would be pushed back by a year following the onslaught of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

All was well that ended well for the Haas US outfit's new driver who won the 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship by beating to the title fellow Ferrari Driver Academy member Callum Ilott.

But last spring, when most of the world went into lockdown, jeopardizing motorsport and its various series and championships, Schumacher - like all young drivers at the time - started facing the prospect of a lost season that could potentially disrupt his plans for a graduation to F1 in 2021.

In hindsight, the 21-year-old almost feels a sense of guilt for enjoying one of the best years in his young career amid the hardship endured by others.

"The pandemic really affected everyone and created serious problems for a lot of people," Schumacher explained in an interview on the Ferrari website.

"That’s why it seems almost unfair for me to be happy about what 2020 was for me because, to be honest, it was the best year since I’ve been racing, the one in which the dream I’ve had since I was a kid came true.

"It’s true that, at the start of the pandemic, when so many countries imposed an almost total lockdown, sport was, quite rightly, not a priority

"I was afraid my second season in Formula 2 would be put back a year."

Schumacher's fears of losing a year were put to rest by the F1 and F2's community's extraordinary efforts, supported by the FIA, to rebuild a calendar and provide a safe sanitary environment for competitors.

• Read also: Schumacher enjoys trouble-free day of testing with Ferrari

At the end of day, in Abu Dhabi in December, Michael Schumacher's talented son had fulfilled his mission.

"That day seems a long time ago now, especially as I can’t wait for the new season to start, to be on the starting grid for my first race alongside the best drivers in the world," he added.

"Until then, I will make sure I am prepared for that moment and then, when the lights go out, it will be very exciting.”

Stringent anti-COVID rules will likely still apply in the paddock this season, at least in the early part of the year. But that won't prevent Schumacher from focusing on the job at hand as a bona fide Grand Prix driver.

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