Michael Schumacher‘s son Mick has opened up about the Formula One legend’s life-changing accident and says he still often draws on his famous father’s advice as he navigates the next chapter of his career. Matt Whyman’s new book titled “Inside Mercedes F1” saw the author given unrestricted access to the British-based Formula 1 team, where Mick Schumacher has been employed as a reserve driver since 2023.
Whyman interviewed the younger Schumacher as part of the book and the 25-year-old German gave a telling insight into his childhood memories of the seven-time F1 world champion and the skiing accident in 2013 that irreparably changed his family’s life. The elder Schumacher suffered catastrophic head injuries in a skiing accident in the French Alps more than a decade ago and hasn’t been seen in public since.
Mick was just 14 at the time but was already touted as a future superstar in motorsport after rising up through the ranks in kart racing. Now 25, the young Schumacher recalled how big an influence his famous father was on his career and the exacting standards he would set to encourage his son to strive for greatness.
“I was a crazy kid – everything my dad did, I did,” Mick said. “I started karting aged three. I was six when I first went scuba diving. Aged ten I was skydiving. My dad was always very open to me trying out whatever I wanted to do and racing is all I wanted to do, because I enjoyed it the most.
He was really supportive and a lot of fun, but could also be challenging. One time in a karting race I braked very late going into a corner and gained a lot of time. When I told him about it, he said, “Yes, but you should have braked like that in every corner!
Whenever he felt like I was not taking it seriously, he would say, “Mick, would you rather go and play football with your friends? If so, we do not need to do all of this. I insisted that I wanted to race and he said, ‘Okay, then let’s do it properly’. So we started doing more European karting and I was getting better.”
The F1 legend was an integral part of his son’s early career but sadly never got to be by Mick’s side for his F1 debut for Haas in 2021 – where he placed 16th at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Mick admitted “I had to find my own feet” after rising up the Formula ranks the year after the accident, and says he still draws on the advice his father bestowed upon him.
“I started racing in the Formula classes the year after (the accident) and from that point onwards, I had to find my own feet,” Mick Schumacher said. “But I definitely learned a lot of technical points from him that I still use today, as well as from his coaching. And I have always been very resilient.”
Michael Schumacher reportedly attended daughter’s wedding
Mick now drives for Alpine in FIA World Endurance Championship but has not given up on his dream of returning to F1. His comments come after reports emerged last month that Michael Schumacher attended his daughter’s wedding, in what would have been his first public appearance since the devastating accident 11 years ago.