The world of motor racing is indeed small and there was a time when five-time MotoGP champion Mick Doohan, the father of Jack Doohan, and Michael Schumacher used to be mates. In fact, the duo were neighbors dating back to the German racing ace’s time with Benetton.
Mick, while speaking on the Formula for Success podcast, told hosts Eddie Jordan and David Coulthard how he played a major role in getting the seven-time world champion back in the sport after his initial retirement after the 2006 season. The Australian had gotten Schumacher into the habit of bike racing.
And after an accident sustained by the former Ferrari driver, Mick had an inkling feeling that Schumacher was missing proper motorsports. “So, I think that was when he sort of changed his mind. I actually said to my wife, ‘I reckon he’s missing sport’. And then within a few months, he’d signed a comeback to Formula 1 [with Mercedes in 2010],” Mick revealed.
Schumacher’s return to F1 was a blessing for the Mercedes brand. It was their first works outfit since their brief stint in the 1950s, and they had a German multiple-time winner in their car this time around. While they did not win as long as Schumacher raced for them, he did indeed set up the foundations for their later success in the turbo-hybrid era.
Jack Doohan is set to make his full-time F1 debut
A little-known fact about Michael Schumacher is that his son was christened Mick owing to the German legend’s admiration for the MotoGP rider. In the years to come, Mick Schumacher would go on to race in Formula 1 for Haas from 2020 to 2022.
Now, as two generations of the Schumacher clan have left their mark at the very pinnacle of motor racing, the Doohan family has stepped into the fold. Mick Doohan’s son, Jack, is slated to make his full-time F1 debut with Alpine from the 2025 season onwards.
Jack has plied his trade in F2 for four years before graduating to the big league. In his time in the feeder series, the Australian racing ace has achieved the highest-championship finish of P3.
