Five years on from his father’s horrific accident, Mick Schumacher has spoken about his “idol” father Michael Schumacher in an emotional new interview.
Speaking on a German documentary called Schumacher – The Next Generation, the Formula One World Champion’s son shared how his father encouraged him to become a professional racing driver.
“My dad asked if we wanted to do it professionally or just for fun, on a hobby level,” the 19-year-old told Germany’s RTL channel.
“Of course, I said it clearly – I want to do it professionally,” Mick added.
“We drove on days when the track was closed and we were allowed to our laps there.”
The European Formula 3 champion also described what it’s like to be compared to his world champion father.
“I do not mind it that way,” Mick said. “I would always compare myself with the best, and my dad is the best, and he’s my idol too.”
Mick previously told the BBC his father “had a huge influence” on his career.
“He was my idol and I am following everything he did and see if I can use it myself and I am really happy with that,” he said.
Despite opening up about his father in the documentary, Mick and the entire Schumacher family have remained quiet on Michael’s condition since he suffered a horrific brain injury while skiing in 2013.
Michael also hasn’t been seen in public since the tragic accident occurred.
Just last week, Nicklas Nielsen, a close friend of Mick, told Danish newspaper BT that Mick is “completely closed” about his father’s health condition.
“Mick does not say he is sad about his father. He just said sometimes that it is hard,” Nielsen said.
Michael, who is now wheelchair-bound and unable to stand alone, can no longer speak, but according to reports, he is making small progress.
Back in 2015, we learned the father-of-two had began to react to the voices of his wife Corinna and their children Gina Maria and Mick, often shedding a tear when he heard the voices of his family.
And according to a report in French magazine Paris Match released in August, the seven-time world champion is now showing even more emotion.
“When you put him in his wheelchair facing the beautiful panorama of the mountains overlooking the lake, Michael sometimes cries,” an anonymous relative reportedly told Paris Match.
The magazine also reported he was also able to make some unaided small movements in a rehabilitation pool.
Michael’s rehabilitation currently reportedly involves around 15 people including physiotherapists and doctors, who visit Schumacher at his Switzerland home on Lake Geneva.