“For me he’s up there with my dad”: Mick Schumacher ranks Sebastian Vettel as best F1 driver ever alongside his legendary father

Mick Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel share a very special relationship that is adored by everyone in the F1 community. The latter had the legendary Michael Schumacher as his mentor when he joined F1 and went on to become a close friend of his. Schumacher has now retired from F1, and Vettel took it upon himself to be a mentor to his son, Mick, just like this father was one to him all those years ago.

At the end of the 2022 season, Vettel too announced his retirement from the sport. He shared the paddock with Mick for two whole seasons, which definitely brought them closer. With the German driver’s glittering career now over, Schumacher shared his thoughts on where he ranks among the all-time greats.

Vettel is a four-time World Champion, winning all four Titles within a four-year span (2010-2013). All his wins came during his time with Red Bull, after which he joined Scuderia Ferrari. Unfortunately for him, his move to the Maranello-based outfit coincided with Mercedes’ era of dominance. As a result, despite winning 14 races with Ferrari, he failed to win the Championship with them.

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Mick Schumacher ranks Sebastian Vettel as high up as his father

When the reporter asked Schumacher about Vettel’s status among the F1 greats, he doe not hesitate before revealing his answer. For him, the former Red Bull driver is right at the top of the list of legends the sport has seen.

“He’s definitely up there for me,” the former Haas driver said. “It might sound patriotic, but for me, he’s up there with my dad.”

Also read: “Going to Ferrari is not always the best”: F1 boss takes public dig at Sebastian Vettel

Both Vettel and Schumacher no longer in F1 in 2023

Midway into the 2022 season, Vettel announced that he would retire from the sport at the end of the season. The Abu Dhabi GP was his last race in the sport, and it was also the last race (for the time being) for Schumacher.

The 23-year-old made his debut in F1 with Haas in 2021 and impressed in his rookie season. However, inconsistent performances and crashes in 2022 made Haas take the decision of not renewing his contract. He lost his seat in F1, but signed up as a reserve driver for Mercedes, which may provide him with a pathway back into the grid in the near future.