This weekend, Schumi-mania will once again explode at the German Grand Prix as a Schumacher blast around Hockenheim in a title-winning Ferrari.
This time around, though, it will be Mick Schumacher at the wheel of his father’s F2004, and the young F2 driver explains why he can’t wait to bring back the glory years for F1 fans in Germany.
You’re driving the F2004 at Hockenheim. Can you imagine how that will feel?
MS: I think it will be special. I have a lot of good memories of Hockenheim, particularly from winning the Formula 3 European Championship there last year, and to drive this car around there on a Grand Prix weekend is pretty amazing. I’m already very excited. I just hope everybody will have as much fun as I will.
What kind of reception are you expecting from the crowd?
MS: I hope they will be equally excited. The F2004 is a symbol of great times for Formula 1 in Germany and I imagine that some of the spectators will have flashbacks to those times. I will do my best to help spark those good memories and I’ll try to make sure that everybody has a great time!
What kind of preparation can you make for driving it? Does it require any familiarisation?
MS: I would have loved to be able to do some preparation laps but unfortunately I just will have to wait and see. We’ll do a seat fitting on Saturday morning of the race weekend but I am sure it will work out fine. In the end, it will be demo-laps for pleasure, and I would really like to thank the owner of the car and Ferrari for giving me the opportunity.
You were just five-years-old when your father was winning in the F2004, do you have any memories of those races?
MS: To be honest I don’t. Obviously, I know what he achieved in the F2004 and that he won the German Grand Prix that year but I think I was too young to take it in. I’ve seen the highlights but I have to admit I don’t really have any memories of it. I more recall our races at home in the garden!
You’ve driven your dad’s Benetton B194 and this weekend it will be the F2004. Is there another of his cars that you’d really like to drive?
Since the F2004 was such a dominant car it will be thrilling for me to find out how it feels to drive it. It’s going to be exciting to experience the power of the engine, and I am very curious to understand how cars from that era feel on track. In terms of others, I think all of them would be interesting to drive!
Your F2 season is well underway now. How do you think it’s gone so far and what have you learned from the seven rounds to date?
MS: It‘s been a pretty rocky season so far, with a lot of things happening which had been out of my influence, unfortunately. I guess this is what builds experience. There is a lot to learn in terms of tyre management or working with a bigger team and even in terms of the scope of the Ferrari Driver Academy. I’m enjoying it a lot, though, and I look forward to more racing and battling in the upcoming events.