MICK SCHUMACHER is bemused by the lack of pre-season testing as he gears up for his F1 debut.
The 21-year-old son of legend Michael will race for Haas in Formula One this season.
Mick Schumacher will not have much time to get used to his Haas before the season startsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Schumacher won the F2 Championship last season with Prema Racing and is confident of stepping up to the big league.
But he’s not happy at the little time he’ll have to get used to his new Haas car.
F1 drivers and teams usually have six to eight days testing in Barcelona over two sessions before the season starts.
But this season they’re limited to just three days in Bahrain from March 12-14 – two weeks before the season starts in the Middle East.
Schumacher said: “As a team, we only have three days of testing instead of six or eight days as in the previous years.
“That means I only get one and a half days of testing before my first race – and then an hour less training.
“No, I don’t like to hear that. But those are the rules. We’ll certainly make ends meet with that too.
“But of course, my biggest goal is to drive as much as possible.”
The young German won the F2 Championship last season to earn a seat with HaasCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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Coronavirus and travel restrictions played havoc with the F1 calendar last season.
The 2020 campaign saw just 17 races – compared to this year’s scheduled 23 – in only Europe and the Middle East.
Schumacher added: “Fortunately, I have the opportunity to do it at home and practice my routes there and sharpen my driving skills.
“But none of that is as good as sitting in a real car or in a reasonably large simulator like a Formula 1 team.”
He also revealed last year he is using tips from his seven-time world champion father Michael.
Schumacher Sr was critically injured in a skiing accident in 2013.
But the expertise he passed on to his child before his accident continues to be helpful.
Schumacher Jr told RTL: “Of course I use some of my father’s tips – even from my karting days.
“At the same time, we are obviously different people and had different experiences in the junior classes.
“And you have to drive the cars differently today too.
“We have a Formula 2 car that weighs 780 kilos, the cars back then weighed 500 kilos. But nevertheless, of course there are some similarities.”
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Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
