Rookie Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher will be one of three debutants going into the 2021 Formula 1 season. As is the case with any child of a famous personality, there are many who believe that he has only got an entry into the sport due to his surname.
Son of the legendary Michael Schumacher, Mick has got the support of his teammate Kimi Raikkonen. The 41-year-old said that Mick is a supremely talented driver and he has reached where he has purely based on his own skill.
Raikkonen said this feeling is shared by almost everyone in the paddock. He further said that Mick has never looked to take advantage of his heritage.
''He reminds me a lot of his Dad. I’m very happy for him.''
— James #EndRacism (@JOC__1991) March 23, 2021
Kimi talking about Mick. He definitely has a soft spot for him ? pic.twitter.com/TlTqfrUlKO
“Sure part of it is that (people having a lot of goodwill for him because of his dad), but he’s not in F1 because of his second name,” Raikkonen said.
Mick has displayed maturity beyond his years ever since he entered the world of motorsport. In his debut season in F2, he faced a series of problems. For someone at his life stage, one may have felt he would lose the plot and try too hard.
Instead, he decided not to focus on points at all that season and got familiar with his car.
He returned the following season a new driver altogether. He stringed together a number of classy performances that saw him win a position in Formula 1.
Raikkonen said that he is hopeful that Haas can re-establish its presence in the sport and give Mick a worthy challenger. However, the team has faced huge financial concerns in recent years and this is unlikely to happen any time soon.
“It’ll be exciting to see; hopefully he has a decent car. He reminds me a lot of his dad. I’m very happy for him,” the man from Iceland said.
A failed partnership with Rich Energy meant that Haas needed a new title sponsor for 2019. They managed to get Uralkali and what impact this has on the team will soon be there for all to see.
Read more: Teams divided over sprint races due to negligible budget cap increase proposal