Saturday 16 January 2021

Trained like Father Michael
F1 complicated start for Mick Schumacher

For the Formula 1 newbie like Mick Schumacher, it will be a challenging season. Hardly any test drive, less driving training on weekends. Instead, he calendared a record 23 Grand Prix. This is exactly what he prepares for.

Now it applies – also and especially to Mick Schumacher. Training, coaching, coaching. January and February are the two months in which F1 drivers lay the foundations for the challenges of the long season, this time until mid-December. Endurance, strength, focus and coordination. The physical exercise plans are packed with events – including rejuvenation. With first-class grader Mick Schumacher, that also means going for a walk or a rest, i.e. sleep. Everything only serves one purpose. “I will start the season and I’m completely ready,” the 21-year-old told the German news agency DPA.

It must be the season of excellence. 23 races – more than ever – are planned and they should be despite cancellations and first postponements due to the coronavirus pandemic. Those who are not in great shape will run into problems. Especially in the intense second half of the season, from the end of September across Russia, Singapore, Japan, the United States, Mexico, Brazil and Australia to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The final should be on December 12th, when Mick Schumacher’s first year of training in the US Haas team car ends.

It will start a little later than hoped. In fact, the Formula 2 champ from last season should celebrate his first racing debut in the First Division the day before his 22nd birthday. The Australian race had to be postponed on March 21. Instead, it starts six days after Mick Schumacher’s Special Day in Bahrain. In a place where his dad who had a lot of attention in Formula 1 returned in 2010 after his seven World Championship titles by the end of 2006. “I was looking forward of course to the opening game of the season in Australia, but that leaves more time to prepare,” says Mick Schumacher.

“Everything is exactly on schedule.”

This consists largely of cycling. Looming on the horizon are the adopted mountains of Switzerland on Lake Geneva. And when it comes to speed, there are a lot of ways. Even off-road. Mick Schumacher wrote on his homepage: “ There is nothing better than driving through the woods. If conditions or a training plan require it, you can also work out in the gym, in sweat, and less varied, but very effective.

Father Michael, who continued to recover from a skiing accident at the end of 2013 and the severe brain injury he suffered in the process, shielded from the public at home, was one of those who placed great importance on utmost fitness during his active time. This wasn’t always the case in Formula 1, as drivers used to enjoy the reputation of being active. In practice, however, every driver has had their own coach for a long time. Mick is the same who took care of his father while he returned to Mercedes in Formula 1.

The 52-year-old Michael Schumacher was also known for his pronounced neck muscles, among other things. The most stressful body area in a Formula 1 driver. The son also trains accordingly. “This is especially important to Meek because it came from Formula 2 and there, for example, the cornering speeds and braking slowdowns were lower,” explains manager Sabine Kim. Mick Schumacher uses, among other things, elastic bands to train the neck – if needed, they are also stretched around a tree. Feature: It also simulates the vibrations in the car.

A single thing cannot be simulated at this time. Even Mick Schumacher has to contend with the limitations caused by the Coronavirus. It remains to be seen if he will actually be able to travel to Mallorca to ride his bikes before the test drive, which will now also take place in Bahrain two weeks before the start, as planned. With a view to public preparation for his first film, he also confirmed: “Everything is exactly on schedule.” There is a lot of training in the simulator, and the team is basically in touch with the team via video.

Visits are tough right now: Haas is headquartered in Canapolis, North Carolina, USA, and in England there is a special team in Banbury. Next season, Mick Schumacher, like other newcomers, will face even greater challenges. For example, training sessions on Friday were cut from a total of three hours to two hours. And that every appearance of the world record champion’s son will be specially noticed, it must be undisputed. Therefore, the following applies now: training, training, training. Especially for Mick Schumacher.