Welcome at RacingNews365

Become part of the largest racing community in the United Kingdom. Create your free account now!

  • Share your thoughts and opinions about F1
  • Win fantastic prizes
  • Get access to our premium content
  • Take advantage of more exclusive benefits
Sign in

Mick Schumacher's driver coach enjoys seeing his similarities to dad Michael

Jock Clear, Driver Coach at the Ferrari Driver Academy, is now working with Mick Schumacher, years after being an engineer to his dad Michael. He has noticed some key similarities between the two.

The driver coach who has worked with Mick Schumacher at the Ferrari Driver Academy admits he enjoys seeing how similar the 22-year-old is to his dad Michael. Jock Clear – a veteran engineer who has worked with many drivers over the years – previously got to know Michael when they worked together during the seven-time World Champion's stint at Mercedes between 2010 and 2012. Clear has noticed many ways in which Mick – who made his F1 debut this year with Haas – is like his famous father. "He does [remind me of Michael] simply because the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Clear told the Beyond The Grid podcast. "He's so much like his dad, in his mannerisms and his accent, and that's quite enjoyable in itself. That reminds me of good days, [as] I thoroughly enjoyed working with Michael, and Mick is similarly such a pleasant young man to deal with. "That's not a given. A lot of racing drivers, they are successful and they do what they do, and ultimately you have to say, 'Yeah, but at the end of the day he's paid to drive a racing car fast, and that's what he does, so we'll forget about some of the other more difficult aspects of them when they're out of the car'. "Mick is just a very, very pleasant young man to deal with in every way, so whatever he does in life, he'll be very well served by just being a top bloke and getting on with people, so I enjoy that aspect." When it comes to how similar Mick is to Michael on the track, Clear finds it difficult to make a comparison given the different stages of their careers both have been at when he has worked with them. "In terms of the technical, the driving, I'd say it's probably too early [to judge]," Clear explained. "The difficulty for me is, of course, I worked with Michael right at the end of his career, where he had seven World Championships. And I'm working with Mick right at the beginning of his career. "Admittedly he's won F3, he's won F2, and he's been winning, but he's sort of arriving now in a situation where he's just desperate to prove himself, but he's not able to do that in the car he's got at the moment, and in the situation he's in at the moment."

x
LATEST 'Newey to leave Red Bull at the end of the season' - reports