2016 world champion Nico Rosberg believes Mick Schumacher will have more attention than Lewis Hamilton in 2007 when he makes his Formula One debut next weekend due to the huge media attention he will get from his famous last name.
After becoming the European Formula 3 champion in 2018 and the Formula 2 champion in 2020, Schumacher will make his debut in Formula 1 in the Haas team this year, which, as expected, attracted a lot of attention from the media and everyone who follows Formula 1.
The son of the seven-time world champion faces a difficult task as he sits in one of the slowest cars this year as Haas has announced no plans to develop the car during the season to focus on the new car for 2022 as soon as possible.
Rosberg became only the second son of the world champion in 2016 to also win the title after Damon Hill repeated his father’s success in 1996, but believes it will be harder for Schumacher than it was for him in 2006 when he had his own in the first race in Bahrain.
“It’s not easy being a‘ son of … ’,” Rosberg told F1 Insider.
“Mick will be ten times more difficult because Michael’s days weren’t that long ago and he was even more successful [than Keke Rosberg who won one championship title in 1982].”
“The media attention will be huge, probably greater at first than that of Lewis Hamilton [2007].”
“I hope Mick can put that aside and focus on his job. If it doesn’t work out, it will deprive him of a lot of fun.”
“The media won’t give him time. It will take him time and patience. After all, I had to wait seven years [until the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix] to win my first race and 11 years to win the title.”
“You have to keep that in mind if you want to rate Mick this season.”
Rosberg was Schumacher’s teammate at Mercedes from 2010 to the end of 2012 and is the only driver to beat the two statistically most successful F1 drivers of all time in the same car.
Also, Rosberg is the only driver in the same car who managed to win more pole positions than Hamilton – it happened in 2014 when the German was more successful with a ratio of 11:7.
Mick Schumacher is celebrating his 22nd birthday today, the same day his father won his first Formula One podium at the 1992 Mexican Grand Prix.
