Being an F1 driver isn’t easy because they are constantly under the spotlight and fans want to follow their every move away from an F1 circuit. Things get even more difficult for legendary drivers like Michael Schumacher, who was one of the most famous athletes in the world during his prime. As a result, he taught his son, Mick Schumacher, who is also a star of his own, how to deal with people who recognize him in public.
Mick Schumacher spoke about this during a segment with his friend and mentor Sebastian Vettel back in 2021. The two were playing Jenga for a video posted by F1’s official YouTube channel. During the video, Vettel asked his young compatriot if he had ever been mistaken for someone else who was famous.
This is when Mick revealed a clever trick he used to get rid of people who would swarm him in public. He added that he never told anyone about this.
“If people ask me who I am. Or like if I’m Mick, I’d usually say no. I learned that from my dad”, explained the former Haas driver.
Vettel agreed with what Schumacher had to say. The four-time world champion also admitted to telling certain fans that he wasn’t the former Red Bull driver, but his twin brother. Bizarrely, fans once also mistook him for Daniel Ricciardo.
Fast forward to 2024 and Vettel has retired from F1. Schumacher, on the other hand, lost his seat at the end of 2022. This naturally kept Schumacher away from the limelight. The only times fans saw him during a race weekend was when he was spotted next to Toto Wolff at the Mercedes garage – since he was their reserve driver.
What does 2024 look like for Mick Schumacher?
Mick Schumacher had to leave Haas at the end of the 2022 season after then-team principal Guenther Steiner chose not to renew his contract. Unfortunately, Schumacher didn’t find suitors anywhere else either. Consequently, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff took him under his care and made him a reserve driver for the Silver Arrows.
Schumacher spent the entirety of the 2023 F1 season on the sidelines. While he failed to get a seat in F1 for 2024 too, Schumacher will compete in other racing ventures. The former Haas driver will now suit up for Alpine and take part in the World Endurance Championship.
Nevertheless, Schumacher revealed in a recent interview that he is aiming for an F1 return. He revealed that to develop his skills and get better, he had to leave for other ventures. However, at the same time, Schumacher insists that he’s at peace even if he doesn’t end up in F1 again.
