Michael Schumacher's devastating family 'secret' comes to light
Michael Schumacher reportedly had a ‘secret plan’ to manage son Mick’s career when he became a professional driver.
Schumacher’s former manager Willi Webber has spoken out about Michael’s plans to become Mick’s manager, in the hope he would propel his son to greatness.
Weber told motorsport-total.com that Michael wanted to help “his boy into Formula One and even manage him the way I used to manage him.”
“Michael was hoping to take him to Formula 1 someday.
“That would be the final step in the whole story. I know he would have liked it very much.”
However Michael suffered head injuries in a devastating skiing accident in 2013, and hasn’t been able to fulfil his plan.
Mick has been working his way through the ranks over the last few years and drove for Ferrari in F1 testing in Bahrain recently.
He won the F3 championship in 2017 before moving up to F2.
While most parents are fearful of pushing their children to emulate them, Weber says Schumacher was enthusiastic about the idea that Mick might follow in his footsteps:
“He actively promoted him and he would do well because Michael knew how to move in this world because he had all the experience alone. This was his ambition.”
Weber also expressed his regret that Mick might feel the burden of trying to make his father proud.
“Mick has a heavy burden to bear because people will always compare him to Michael and say: ‘His name is Schumacher, he must achieve the same results as his father’, and this will be a huge burden for the boy.
“If Michael could be by his side, he would have a completely different effect.
“But now Mick represents his father in the eyes of the people. This is the problem. Because everyone compares him and everyone says: ‘He must achieve the same results’.”
‘The way he’s behaving is very similar’
Meanwhile, Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto says the way Mick approaches his job reminds him of a young Michael.
Binotto was an engine engineer at Michael’s first test with Ferrari at the end of 1995, and worked alongside the seven-time F1 champion throughout his Maranello career.
He has had a chance to observe Mick up close since the F3 champion became part of the Ferrari Driver Academy.
“The very first time I saw him after many years, in Maranello when he came back, I looked at him, and I didn’t think he’s really looking similar to Michael,” said Binotto.
“But the way he’s behaving is very similar, and the way he approached the exercise, the way he’s interested in the car, discussing with technicians.
“Even in Maranello we were looking after him, but he was always at the workshop looking at the car, speaking with mechanics. And I think that’s a bit similar to his father.”
with agencies
