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(CNN) – Towards the end of 2019, the pressure on Mick Schumacher was intense.
As the son of a great Formula One driver, he had always garnered attention, even as a young racer pushing his way through the ranks. But when the then 20-year-old finished his first season in Formula Two in 12th place, 213 points behind the eventual champion despite driving for the championship’s best team, questions arose.
Perhaps Michael Schumacher’s son would not only never become an F1 world champion, but would never make it to the top of motorsport? After all, the two previous F2 champions, Charles Leclerc and George Russell, had won the title in their debut seasons. The 2020 season was decisive.
It was after the final race of that season in December that young Schumacher, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, met with his PREMA Racing team for the kind of off-the-table discussions that are often a must if he must have a positive change.
“After the last season, we sat down with Mick and we spoke frankly, an open discussion between us, and we pointed out the most important thing where he had to improve, and we also, where we had to improve, and we worked to make a plan to be ready. for the first race [of the next season]”team principal René Rosin told CNN Sport.
In less than 12 months, and in a season shortened by the coronavirus pandemic, Schumacher’s fortunes have been transformed. With one race remaining, he leads the F2 championship by 14 points and, on Wednesday, it was announced that he will compete in F1 next season, where his father, a brilliant seven-time world champion, became a world name.
The 21-year-old Schumacher has always been a talented driver, Rosin says, simply needing time to adjust after his promotion from European Formula 3, where he won the championship in his second year after an unfavorable first season.
He needed to learn, for example, how to handle the tires, from driving the Hankooks he was used to in F3 to Pirelli, and to adapt to a heavier and more powerful car.
“One of Mick’s strengths is that once he learns something … it’s something that no one would move [from] him, that’s a very strong point, “adds Rosin.
“He’s a very technical guy, he wants to understand everything 100% before putting it into practice.
“We’ve been working together for five years, and he grew up as a driver and grew up as a man. He’s part of our team and he’s an incredible driver to work with.”
Not just another young driver
A championship that takes place on F1 race weekends, F2 is a breeding ground, a place where drivers can show off their undercard fighting skills before the main match.
Current F1 drivers Leclerc from Ferrari, Russell from Williams, Lando Norris from McLaren are all former F2 champions, just like Lewis Hamilton, although when F2 had a different appearance.
But Schumacher has never been like most young drivers. There is feverish interest in your progress. During his karting days, Schumacher chose to race under the pseudonyms Betsch, his mother’s maiden name, and Junior, while trying to learn his trade under the radar.
“He knows he has his name, he knows he has to handle the pressure and he is able to handle the pressure,” says Rosin.
“We don’t treat him differently from other drivers. He is one of the drivers on the team and we want to give him our best to make sure he can perform.”
“All his life he has been used to pressure. On the other hand, if you want to win the championship and you want to be a leader in the sport you have to be able to handle the pressure, otherwise you will not go to Formula One.” or be in the major categories of motorsport. “
Schumacher, who could be crowned F2 world champion this weekend, has not only improved on the track over the last 12 months, but he seems to have more confidence in it. Last year, his responses to journalists were often cautious, but this year he is a more open interviewee.
She has recently spoken about Michael, who suffered serious head injuries in a skiing accident in 2013, and reportedly said in an RTL documentary that he was using the advice his father gave him.
Lawrence Barretto, a senior editor at F1.com, interviewed Schumacher in Bahrain last year and again in Germany this season, where Schumacher was due to make his F1 practice debut only because September rain would delay his arc.
“He is well trained in terms of media because he is advised by the same people who advised his dad,” Barretto tells CNN Sport.
“This year, he has become more relaxed in his role as a racing driver. He is much more expansive and open about his experiences and Formula One, and speaks very eloquently about his dad, and comes across more of a confident driver than he should be able to handle the pressure of the media that will come with the Schumacher name. “
Do you deserve your F1 seat?
Announced as one of two new drivers for the American Haas team for the 2021 campaign, is Schumacher good enough to compete in F1? As Schumacher himself has said, “My name will not place me at the top of the championship.”
“He deserves more than his chance in F1 next year,” adds Barretto.
“It is true that they have the best team in F2, but you still have to make the most of that package. Arguably, they have a tougher time than most of their rivals due to the pressure that comes with their name.
“It would be very easy for him to succumb to pressure, to make mistakes, to finally not be as fast as his father used to be, but he seems to be dealing with everything super impressively and delivering results consistently.
“If you can deal with the pressure, that’s a big part of impressing in Formula One. If you look at a lot of drivers on the grid over the years, it’s the pressure that seems to indicate, even if they are super talented.
“It will be a good [F1] driver. I don’t think there are many people in our life who can match what Michael has done. You got michael and lewis [Hamilton] up there and are comfortably ahead of the rest.
“From what we’ve seen, I don’t think he’s going to match Michael, but I still think he has the potential, he’s shown enough so far to be a race winner and compete for world titles. I think we’ve seen enough already. to suggest that he will be close to matching his father. “
‘The name Schumacher will get people excited’
Perhaps it would be unrealistic to expect the 21-year-old to match the exploits of his father, a driver who dominated the sport in the 1990s, winning 91 Grand Prix races, scoring 68 pole positions and 155 podiums, all records before. Hamilton came to break them all.
In Schumacher’s favor next season will be the fact that he will be competing for a team that is not expected to be in contention for victories, let alone the title. He can, says Barretto, learn at his own pace because an F1 driver needs to absorb vast amounts of data, spend hours with his team and work tirelessly to get the most out of the car during a racing weekend.
“You can use next year as an opportunity to learn all those skills without having too much expectation that it will deliver great results because ultimately the car will not be able to do that,” explains Barretto.
“His key for next year is essentially making sure he beat his teammate. [Nikita Mazepin] and if he does, it is a victory for him. “
For Rosin, he has no doubt that Schumacher will triumph in motorsport’s toughest category.
“He’s a racing winner, he’s a driver who works with engineers, he’s a driver who understands technique, how the car behaves and of course he has great racing ability. His racing ability is incredible, see he knows where to put the tires in the first couple of laps of the race.
No one should expect too early from a driver whose climb has been gradual. Rosin describes Schumacher’s recent success in F2 as a five-year process.
But Schumacher’s presence on the F1 grid will undoubtedly be a boost for the sport and his team.
“It is important for the future of Formula One, and for the next generation, that we have big names that excite people, and this name from Schumacher will excite people, regardless of whether they are interested in F1 or not.” says Barretto.
This story was first published on CNN.com “Can Mick Schumacher emulate his father Michael in Formula One?”
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