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Damon Hill has said that Mick Schumacher deserves his shot at success in Formula One, but warned the son of seven-time world champion Michael that living up to a surname can be both a blessing and a curse.
The 1996 world champion empathizes with the task Schumacher will take on when he joins the F1 grid with Haas in 2021. Hill’s father, Graham, won two world championships before dying in a plane crash in 1975 when Hill had 15 years. decided to race himself, his background was impossible to ignore, just as Schumacher’s F1 career will open up in the shadow of his illustrious father, a burden he must face.
“There’s a feeling that some people don’t want you to try it,” says Hill. “I felt like some people were thinking, ‘Why is he doing this? He’s never going to be as good as his father. ‘ It doesn’t necessarily follow that because your dad was a world champion you’ll be good, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying. You should be able to give it a try if you deserve it, and F1 will find a way to see if you deserve it. “
Hill persevered, competing for Williams and battling Schumacher for the title in 1994 and 1995 before securing it in 1996, becoming the first son of a world champion to win the championship. Jacques Villeneuve would follow his father, Gilles, into F1 and also won a title, while Nico Rosberg won after following in the footsteps of his title-winning father, Keke. Having a distinguished experience in the sport is more than just inspiration, says Hill.
“I wanted to race, I loved racing, I loved competition and I loved sport. But he was also determined not to disappoint next to Ser Hill. One element of my father’s death was, if you will, resurrect or honor the surname. So I took many lessons from my father’s life and career and applied them to my careers.
Jacques was very different. He didn’t even talk about his father; as far as he was concerned, he was going to be just like Jacques, not like Gilles’s son. In some ways it is a blessing and in some ways a curse. “
Schumacher, of course, has had to pass his own tests beyond showing that he is on the right track to go this far. He was only 14 when his father was injured in the ski accident from which he has yet to recover. By understanding this loss as he went through his own at a similar age, Hill believes he has given Schumacher a greater sense of purpose.
“It really is tragic what happened to Michael,” he says. “Mick has experienced something in his life that has been very difficult to bear, and I am sure he will have a little extra motivation.”
Schumacher has been in the limelight since he started racing, particularly when he launched into single-seaters in 2014, and that level of scrutiny will now intensify. He bears not only the family’s last name, but also perhaps something that no other driver has had to deal with, the intense interest in his father for the accident he suffered. It’s a weight he’s supported well, Hill says.
“I have been very impressed by how diplomatic he has been and how he has asked people to respect the privacy that the Schumacher family has asked for. I think he’s overcome it admirably and that has given him a chance to focus on what he wants to do. But I don’t think he’s interested in advertising. He wants to run and he wants to win ”.
Schumacher is entering a maelstrom. As a rookie, you will face pressure like no other. Your every move will be analyzed on and off the track and, as Hill pointed out, there will undoubtedly be observers waiting to pounce on your mistakes. However, he has already shown remarkable maturity and composure so far in his career, and Schumacher’s best response is to stick with this and make his point on the track. The sincere hopes that you can do it will not be lacking.
“In a way, it’s very simple: If it performs well, all those problems go away,” says Hill. “I will be eager to see how it goes. Everyone has been greatly affected and appreciates the pain the Schumacher family has gone through. They wish Mick the best, they really do. “
