Mick Schumacher has declared that he would feel ready to step in at Ferrari "and show them what I've got" if his services are needed going forward. Schumacher is steadily building up his experience in F1, working through his second campaign with the Ferrari-supported Haas team and breaking his points duck. Over the winter, the German took on additional reserve duties at Ferrari , meaning he could be called up to replace Charles Leclerc or Carlos Sainz if they are unable to compete. Speaking to a select group of media, including RacingNews365.com , Schumacher was asked whether he would feel ready to jump in, should the opportunity arise. "Yeah, yeah," replied the 23-year-old, before strengthening his case. "I mean, our cars are not the same, but are similar. I've grown up with Ferrari basically since 2019 and I feel like I understand the whole procedure. "I'd be more than happy to step in and show them what I've got."
What's behind Schumacher's recent surge?
Schumacher's comments follow a recent surge in form, kicked off by his maiden F1 points finish at the British Grand Prix. Having placed eighth at Silverstone (where he fought with Max Verstappen), he went two spots better in Austria (following a scrap with Lewis Hamilton). "I think F1 is always pressure, right?" Schumacher commented. "You're only as good as your last race, so at the moment, I'm happy (speaking at the French Grand Prix, after his back-to-back points finishes). But also, I understand that there's no time for us to kind of lean back in any way. "It's always [about] trying to find the next bit of performance and we're still trying everything we can to make our car quicker, if it's on the set-up side or if it's on the operational side. "The focus is very much still on trying to improve and to become better, and to achieve [even] greater positions."
Schumacher's thoughts on team boss Steiner
Schumacher also shared what it has been like working with Haas team boss Guenther Steiner, whose approach appears to have aided his development. "Everybody is their own human and is their own person and Guenther has a very unique style of doing things," he said. "At the end [of the day], it's again that thing of pressure and sometimes – maybe, I don't know – I perform better under pressure than if I don't have the pressure. "It's something which is actually quite positive, because if you're in the championship fight you have pressure." Asked if Steiner is as straightforward when speaking with him as he is with the media, Schumacher added: "I would say so. He's probably one of the people that has very little filter on and speaks out their minds. "It's always something you have to adapt to. I haven't had that before, so it's something new to me, and I had to learn how to deal with it – I feel like I'm doing that."
Most read
