MICHAEL Schumacher didn’t name his son Mick after himself as is commonly believed.
Friend of the German F1 superstar, Eddie Jordan, 74, revealed the name was given as a tribute.
Jordan said Michael had named his son after legendary sportsman Mick Doohan.
He said Mick was given his name “as a mark of respect” to the Aussie five-time MotoGP world champion.
“Mick Schumacher isn’t named after his dad like a lot of people seem to think,” he said.
“Mick Schumacher is named after a person who his father, Michael, was in total awe of, a sportsman who had won five world titles back to back with Honda.
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“And that is no other than Mick Doohan.
“As a mark of respect, Michael Schumacher called his son Mick.”
It was Eddie who gave the German his big break in F1 when the then 22-year-old racer made his debut with Jordan in the Belgian Grand Prix in 1991.
Michael would go on to smash all the records – claiming seven world championships and 91 races while driving for Ferrari and Benetton.
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But the 54-year-old racing legend has not been seen or heard from for nearly 10 years after his horror ski crash back in 2013.
He was left with a severe brain injury and in a medically induced coma.
Mystery surrounds his condition – with his family imposing a strict “family only” rule on who can visit him.
Last year, Jordan revealed Michael’s wife denied him a visit to see the Formula 1 legend after his horror skiing accident.
His wife Corinna keeps his condition a closely guarded secret with strict rules about who’s allowed to see him.
Corinna prefers to treat her husband privately at their home in Geneva, Switzerland with ex-Ferrari boss Jean Todt one of the few people allowed to see him outside his immediate family.
It comes as F1 fans were moved to tears over a video showing Michael and a young Max Verstappen.
The F1 star spent a lot of time growing up with the Schumacher family as his dad Jos Verstappen and seven-time champ Michael were close friends.
The two families’ connection features in episode 4 – Like Father, Like Son? of Netflix’s Drive to Survive.
Footage released as part of the show’s latest season feature Michael talking about young Mick and Max and discussing with Jos whether they would allow their children to become F1 drivers.
One clip in particular, where Schumacher bends down and pats Verstappen on the head, has moved Formula 1 fans.
Netflix’s documentary also brought to light a touching photo showing Michael cradling baby Max on his lap alongside his own daughter, Gina-Maria.
Drive to Survive also charts Mick’s difficult sophomore season in 2022 – including his horror 170mph accident in Saudi Arabia.
Mick’s rough year saw him outscored by his teammate, the returning Danish veteran Kevin Magnussen.
The show outlines Mick’s struggles – and the pressure that came with racing under the name “Schumacher”.
Speaking about his good friend, Max said: “It was different for Mick than it was for me. His father is the record world champion, with seven world championships.
“That’s a difficult starting position at first.”
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Mick – who was dropped by Haas in favour of veteran driver Nico Hulkenberg for 2023 – is now a reserve driver at Mercedes.
He will be backing up Sir Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, potentially stepping in for them if they have to miss a race.
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
