'It's torture': Mick Schumacher's tumultuous start to F1 career

Mick Schumacher has opened up about his tumultuous start to life in Formula One, describing driving at the back of the grid as "torture".

Making his debut in F1 at the Bahrain Grand Prix three weeks ago, the son of legendary driver Michael Schumacher was last finisher and lapped by the majority of his rivals.

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Schumacher then finished two laps down in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday, joining Haas teammate Nikita Mazepin at the back of the pack.

“I don’t really realise what I’m doing when I’m in the car, let’s say facial expressions wise or feelings wise, I just love driving so I enjoy what I’m doing,” he told Channel 4.

“And I don’t enjoy it when I’m not first so it’s kind of a torture driving at the back with no real competition.”

But despite the two 16th-placed finishes, the young driver is remaining upbeat about his slow start to life at the elite level.

"Therefore I have to make myself a grand prix, so let’s say if I have Nicholas [Latifi] in front of me or (George) Russell, it’s just like for me they are the leaders and I have to catch them,” he continued.

“That’s the game that I’m playing to always stay motivated, to always keep on pushing and always be 100%.”

The younger Schumacher won the Formula 2 and Formula 3 titles on his way to F1.

“I think in general you have to say that you can’t make everybody happy, and I know my worth, I know what I have accomplished to be here,” he said.

“Having that surname doesn’t only give me the surname, it gives me potentially also the genes so I think I have a very good package and maybe the best teacher in the world.”

Max Verstappen wins Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Red Bull's Max Verstappen won a chaotic and crash-halted Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, with Lewis Hamilton finishing second to stay ahead in the championship by a single point.

The win, by a commanding 22 seconds at the chequered flag of the season's second race on Sunday, was the 11th of the Dutch youngster's career.

"It was very challenging out there, especially in the beginning to stay on track to be honest, it was very slippery," Verstappen said of an afternoon that started with most drivers on intermediate tyres but some on full wets.

Hamilton, winner of the Bahrain season-opener, took a crucial bonus point for fastest lap on a rollercoaster afternoon for the seven-times world champion, whose race was almost wrecked by a rare mistake.

The Briton started on pole, his 99th, but dropped from second to ninth after skidding into the gravel and nudging the barriers at Tosa with his car at a standstill and a retirement looming.

He kept the engine running, reversed back out and returned to the pits, a lap behind, for a new front wing.

With the field closed up again, Hamilton fought his way back to the podium with a stirring recovery drive and passed McLaren's third-placed Lando Norris with two laps to go.

"On my side it was not the greatest days, it's the first time I've made a mistake in a long time," said Hamilton.

with AAP

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