Mick Schumacher Needs to Step Up in 2020

David Johnson December 10, 2019

Mick Schumacher is in the news as experts are expecting improved performance in the year 2020. Ex-Formula 1 Finnish racing driver, JJ Lehto shared during an interview that Mick Schumacher needs to improve very much before he is up for Formula 1.

Mick fights a tough battle to follow his father, Michael Schumacher’s footsteps. Lehto thinks that showing improvement in Formula 2 can make his ways easy to step into Formula 1.

Michael Schumacher F2 Performance Statistics

Mick Schumacher, son of the legendary racing driver in F1, Michael Schumacher, has a career statistics of winning 29 races out of 177 with 51 podiums, 15 pole positions, and 16 fastest laps. His race win percentage is 16.4%, and podium percentage is 28.8%. The year 2019 was a mix of ups and quite a few downs. So, it is only natural that experts are demanding better from the young German.

While Lehto talked to the Italian magazine, Motorionline, he was very clear about what stopped him from moving to Formula 1. He said,

“There have been a lot of ups and downs this season, and it’s for this reason speculation about Mick moving to F1 has stopped.”

Adding further to the talk, he told the magazine on how much important it is for Mick to perform well in this season of F2.

While talking about the German racing driver, Mick Schumacher, JJ Lehto also stated that his father, Michael Schumacher’s big-name might help him, but talent plays a vital role too. He said,

“The kid has talent, but he needs to improve a lot before moving to F1. Obviously, the name helps but you need to win titles if you want to go and compete in Formula 1.”

Johnny Herbert Shares The Similar Doubts

The British racing driver and winner of Le Mans, 1991, Johnny Herbert thinks somewhat similar and says that Mick Schumacher lacks the “bang” of Lando Norris and George Russell and if he wishes to step up for Formula 1, he has to compete well in Formula 2 this year.

Johnny had some doubts on Schumacher’s capabilities, whether he would be able to enter Formula One or not. Keeping in mind his performance in the last season and comparing it with Lando Norris’s and George Russell’s, Johnny Herbart said that,

“Nothing that I would class as startling as we saw with Lando and George. His race win in Hungary was very well controlled, very mature in the way that he was able to look after his tires and the manner he kept up the pace he needed to.”

He further added about the declination of 20-years-old, German Mick’s progress, and said that it was a reverse grid and he was on pole position, and it was a good win. After such a success, the confidence grows, and performance goes up, but with Mick, the case was the opposite.

Keeping in mind the fact that Mick Schumacher is considered a good candidate for the future Ferrari seat by the Scuderia team boss, Johnny Herbert is very clear about his doubts that maybe it is too early to state that for Mick. He stated,

“It’s a bit early for Mick on that front, but his demeanour is excellent. He’s a very nice young man, and they’ve brought him on in a very nice way. But results speak. That’s the big thing. It was OK what he did when he did the Ferrari-Alfa test, and they were OK, but I only heard rumours of what fuel and tires he was running, so it’s a hard one to properly read.”

The Year Will Decide

Seeing the entire situation, we can only say that the year 2020 will decide what future hold for the young German. So, let us see if, in the year 2020, Mick actually becomes successful in stepping up and shows his efforts well enough to get qualified for Formula One.