Mick Schumacher’s Road to Formula 1
Formula 2 driver, Mick Schumacher, has finally achieved his dream of making it to Formula 1!
The news has been anticipated ever since the young German started his journey in motor racing.
Abundant rumours regarding his move to the Haas team have been confirmed. He will start the 2021 season alongside Formula 2 opponent, Nikita Mazepin.
Schumacher began his ADAC Formula 4 series with Van Amersfoort in 2015 – He secured two podiums.
His maiden race WIN was during Race 3 at the inaugural weekend in Oschersleben.
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He picked up a P3 on his return to Oschersleben later in the season.
Overall he finished in 10th place behind Lando Norris and Robert Shwartzman.
2016 saw a second ADAC Formula 4 season, but this time driving for Prema – The team he would remain with for the rest of his journey in the junior formulas. He partnered Jüri Vips and Juan Manuel Correa.
A more convincing performance that year saw him finish in second place behind Australian, Joey Mawson – with 12 podiums, that included five wins. His first at his seemingly favoured track, Oschersleben.
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Monza was a fond memory from that season too.
These results helped Prema become team champions by a slim 4.5 points.
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2016 was a busy season for the German driver. He participated with the same ADAC teammates in the Italian Formula 4 series and took another second place. This secured the Teams’ Championship and Rookie title for Jüri Vips.
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Schumacher moved up to Formula 3 in 2017, partnering Callum Ilott and Guanyu Zhou, finishing the season in P12. His one and only podium of the season was a P3 at Monza.
Schumacher’s first feeder series title win came in 2018. The German secured the Championship with eight wins, three P2s and three P3s. His maiden victory came in Spa.
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The following seven wins were secured across five consecutive race weekends at Silverstone, Misano, Nürburgring, and the Red Bull Ring. Five off them back-to-back.
His points, together with teammate, Robert Shwartzman’s, gave the bragging rights to Prema, and the Russian secured the Rookie title to boot. A clean sweep.
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Oh… and this happened…
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Schumacher’s promotion to Formula 2 saw him finish in 12th place in the 2019 Drivers’ Championship with just 53 points. He achieved one podium; a win at the Hüngaroring.
A defining moment occurred at the Baku Street Circuit. Starting in P18 he finished the race in fifth.
He went one better in Austria…
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At the beginning of 2020 murmurs of the Coronavirus were becoming louder, and countries were closing borders. Bahrain still accommodated Formula 2 for pre-season testing.
The teams thought they’d be returning two weeks later for the first race of the season. They thought wrong…
The world closed its doors.
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When racing did eventually start it was to be in Austria, for the first double-header of the revised 2020 season.
Schumacher qualified in fifth and finished Saturday’s first Feature Race, 11th, after an altercation with Callum Ilott.
Sunday’s Sprint Race saw a four place improvement as the German crossed the line in 7th.
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Round 2 saw a name change to the Austrian Grand Prix being the same location as Round 1 to prevent any confusion – The Styrian Grand Prix.
Schumacher took a close P4 on the Saturday.
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An incident during Sunday’s Sprint Race saw Schumacher’s onboard fire extinguisher deploy. He was fortunate to nurse the car back to the safety of the pit. Thus recording his one and only retirement of the season.
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After qualifying in P5, the Hungaroring saw the Prema driver achieve back-to-back podiums, finishing P3 in both Feature and Sprint races.
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The second double-header of the season saw the Formula 2 caravan arrive at Silverstone.
Having qualified in third place Schumacher had a lightening start and was in P1 by the first corner.
He was disappointed to finish the race in P9 after such a promising launch.
The Sprint Race saw Schumacher slip back further after finishing the race in 14th. At this point he was ninth in the driver standings.
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The second race weekend in Great Britain saw another name change.
Dubbed the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix for the circuit’s 70th year of motor racing, Schumacher finished the Feature Race in 7th.
During Sunday’s Sprint Race he finished on the podium in second.
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The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya saw the German finish the Feature Race in sixth.
A much improved drive saw him take his fourth podium of the season – a P3. His position in the driver standings crept up to P5 after the weekend.
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A P3 during the Feature Race, and an even better P2 for the Sprint Race, saw a poignant return to the Spa circuit, one year on from Anthoine Hubert’s tragic accident.
Schumacher now stood fourth in the standings.
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The team’s home circuit at Monza saw Schumacher take his first WIN of the season and second WIN in Formula 2.
It had been much anticipated from the paddock and fans alike.
Schumacher’s weekend improved with a P3 in Sundays Sprint Race.
After eight rounds he was up to P2 in the Drivers’ Championship.
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The next race weekend saw a brand new circuit added to the calendar – Mugello.
Formula 1 team affiliate Scuderia Ferrari celebrated their 1000th Grand Prix. A special weekend was planned.
Schumacher was asked to drive his father’s F2004 Ferrari.
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Hopping back into his Formula 2 Prema, Schumacher finished the Feature Race in 5th place. Not a bad result after qualifying in 15th the day before.
The German went one better in Sunday’s Sprint Race, by finishing in 4th. By now he had enough points to top the Drivers’ leader board.
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Formula 2 arrived in Sochi. Schumacher took his second WIN of the 2020 season. It started to look like this could be his year to shine. His #RoadToF1 began to look like a reality.
Schumacher took P3 after Sunday’s Sprint Race was suspended because of damage to the tyre barrier following Luca Ghittto and Jack Aitken’s altercation.
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Due to the revised calendar an epic nine week break saw Mick scheduled to test the Alfa Romeo at the Formula 1 Eifel Grand Prix.
Sadly for all those anticipating Schumacher’s Formula 1 debut, Friday’s Practice session was cancelled due bad weather.
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Formula 2 eventually returned to Bahrain for the penultimate race weekend of the 2020 season.
Schumacher, leading the Drivers’ Championship, qualified P10.
The German finished the Feature Race fourth after an epic race start. It was a much needed result in his campaign to win the title.
The following day Schumacher finished the Sprint Race in seventh, retaining the Championship lead.
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After much speculation it was confirmed that Schumacher had made it to Formula 1 – driving for the Haas team.
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Future distractions pushed aside, Schumacher headed into the final weekend at Sakhir, with a job to finish.
A bold move around the outside of Dan Ticktum to take P8 gave viewers a glimpse of his impending potential.
Achieving a P6 after Saturday’s scrappy and incident filled Feature Race helped Prema secure the Teams’ Championship.
Ilott’s valiant efforts weren’t enough during Sunday’s Sprint Race and despite Schumacher finishing in P18 he was deservedly crowned 2020 Formula 2 Champion.
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We here at insideF2 wish Mick the very best of luck on his path to achieving his Formula 1 ambitions!
#KeepFighting
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