VMick Schumacher didn’t want to know anything about nervousness after his long-awaited Formula 1 debut. “It is a long-standing dream that is now coming true for me,” said the 21-year-old in a clear voice. Shortly before, the young racing driver had officially driven the car of his new employer Haas for the first time in the first practice session at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Friday. “It’s very nice to know that I’ll be driving here next year,” said Schumacher, who will be the new regular driver for the American racing team from 2021.
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Before the last race of the season, Schumacher was able to experience what awaits him week after week in the future. We had beans and omelets for breakfast in the hotel, then we set off shortly after 1 p.m. local time. “I was just looking forward to the day,” said the son of Formula 1 record champion Michael Schumacher. He didn’t sleep badly, he had prepared himself too meticulously for everything that was to come. And there was a lot of praise for this attitude.
“The first time in a Formula 1 car is difficult, but he did a great job,” said team boss Günther Steiner. Schumacher implemented exactly what was asked of him. “He’s very calm and very professional. The engineers can talk to him about anything, ”said Steiner, who almost had to brake his new pilot. Schumacher wants to soak up everything and is open to everyone. “I can be me now,” said Schumacher, who will continue to live in Switzerland, and formulated his goals: “I want to develop as a driver. I want to make us a small family here. “
They are words that remind of his father. Schumacher junior also wants to get everyone involved so that everyone can fight hard together to make their dreams come true. For Haas’ backbenchers, things should definitely go forward. Schumacher was signed only a week ago – and is already creating a spirit of optimism. Of course, the youngster also knows that he certainly cannot work miracles in the car. “You should keep your expectations realistic,” he said. Only racing in Formula 1 over the long term is definitely not for the young man with the big name.
The fact that a Schumacher suddenly appears next to Sebastian Vettel or Lewis Hamilton on the result boards doesn’t leave anyone indifferent. The debutant initially took 18th place, in 1: 41.235 minutes he was 3.857 seconds behind the fastest Max Verstappen in the Red Bull in the United Arab Emirates. Schumacher completed a total of 23 laps without incident. “It was exciting to be on the track with everyone,” he said. In future he will start with the number 47, at the premiere the 50 was still on his racing car.
Formula 2 champion Schumacher drove the car of current regular driver Kevin Magnussen. He should collect data, get to know the processes and work through various tasks. It wasn’t about lap times yet. The Dane Magnussen then completed the rest of the weekend as planned, while Schumacher slipped into the role of the observer one last time. “I’m sure I won’t get bored that easily,” he said, also making differences to his previous vehicle: “Of course, it is a lot faster now.”
Schumacher should actually have completed an official training session for Alfa Romeo at the Nürburgring, but bad weather prevented that in October. Such problems did not arise in the sunshine around the marina in Abu Dhabi. Schumacher will get into the cockpit there on Tuesday for the last time this year.
Then the test for young drivers is due. It is about “getting better, understanding the technology,” said Steiner: “You have to use every lap to learn.” The Italian has no doubt that Schumacher is ready. A visit to the team factory in England is also planned, but not so easy to implement due to the Corona crisis. “We still have to plan everything,” said Steiner at Sky.
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