Schumacher name return would be ‘great’ for F1 - Carey
Mick Schumacher making it all the way to Formula 1 would be “great” for the sport, according to CEO Chase Carey.
Mick Schumacher making it all the way to Formula 1 would be “great” for the sport, according to CEO Chase Carey.
The Schumacher name has been absent in F1 since seven-time world champion Michael retired at the end of the 2012 season, paving the way for Lewis Hamilton’s move to Mercedes.
His son, Mick, won the 2018 European Formula 3 Championship and will move up to Formula 2 for the upcoming season with leading single-seater outfit Prema. Schumacher has been named as a Ferrari Academy driver and recently opened up about the difficulties of following in his father's footsteps.
Asked about the prospect of the Schumacher name returning to F1, Carey told Sky Sports F1: “I know Michael Schumacher is a hero, second to none, in the sport.
“It’s wonderful to have his son in Formula 2 and realistically we wish him all the best. We can’t predict success but I think it’s great.
“We have tried to make Formula 3 and Formula 2 a little bit more of a visible ladder to F1 and so I think having some stories around Formula 3 and Formula 2 will help us elevate those and make those part of the larger story.
“F1 is always going to be the pinnacle but we’d like it to be where the stars of tomorrow get a little bit more traction.
“Mick is a great story and we are incredibly excited to have him on the track this season.”
Time to admire Hamilton’s ‘unique talent’
Carey also spoke about the achievements of five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who heads into 2019 bidding to continue his title-winning streak with Mercedes by edging ever-closer to Schumacher’s all-time record.
“I think you can’t help but admire what Lewis has achieved, he is one of the all-time greats,” Carey added.
“What he did last year was really special. You can’t help but admire unique talent and unique capabilities in a record-setting sense.
“On the one level, you always want the underdog to win but on the flip side when I say the sport is about heroes, today there is no bigger hero than Lewis Hamilton.”
