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Michael Schumacher is a well-known name in the world of F1. The German driver is a seven-time world champion and a motorsport idol to millions across the globe. He is also a father to another new name on the F1 grid, Mick Schumacher.
The 23-year-old, back in 2020, was touted as one of the most anticipated entries in F1. Many expected the young German to take after his father, awaiting exceptional achievements from him. However, as he drives into the second year of his F1 career, there are many mixed opinions about the driver and his debut.
The German driver will reportedly soon see an end to his Haas contract, prompting fans to scrutinize the 23-year-old's time in F1. Furthermore, realistically, consistent comparisons of Mick's performance to his father's performances were always inevitable.
So, as the saga intensifies, let's take a look at how Schumacher Jr.'s first two years compared to his father's first two years in F1:
#1 Debut year was not amazing for the Schumachers
Michael Schumacher stepped in for Bertrand Gachot (Jordan F1) back in 1991 during the Belgian GP. This was his debut race, where he qualified P7. He then defended his point-finishing position before a clutch failure spoiled the party.
However, that did not stop Michael Schumacher from pushing harder. With just five races remaining, the German managed four points (similar to Gachot's) and stood at P14. It is worth noting that Schumacher entered the competition late and still managed this feat in only the 5th fastest car that season.
Mick, on the other hand, was signed for the American outfit Haas. To be fair, the car was, by all means, the slowest one on the grid. The team even decided to abandon the 2021 developments and focus on the 2022 season.
Notably, the 23-year-old's performances were better than his teammate's, but not necessarily convincing. Mick's average finish position on the grid was P16, with his best race result proving to be P12. While he made many mistakes in terms of crashing, he also had his own small achievements.
Mick's debut year wasn't up to par due to internal team conflicts and clashes with Nikita Mazepin that made the team environment negative. The driver did not manage even a single Q3 and had zero points. Guenther Steiner and co. particularly had a tough year facing a deficit in performance and adjusting to the rookies.
#2 Second year proved to be different for the father-son duo
The second year is the season that makes all the difference for a driver. In the first year, they get their time to adjust and understand the F1 scene, marking the driver's debut a little easier. However, it's the second outing that needs to be promising.
Speaking of promising, Michael won a race in his second year. He won it on the same Belgian GP track that saw his debut and retirement in 1991. Schumacher, who was driving for Benetton in 1992, was still in only the third fastest car. But despite making a mistake mid-race, kept his calm and won under tricky and pressurizing conditions.
Furthermore, Michael Schumacher jumped 11 places to finish in P3 that year, swooping in 53 points. He was even ahead of teammate Martin Brundle, who finished P6.
As for Mick Schumacher, there has been a mixed response to his second year. Initially, the driver got into crashes and caused the team a great deal of loss. Further, there was a lack of performance from him that was widely criticized.
To make things worse, Mick's teammate, Kevin Magnussen, performed incredibly well in the first half of the season. He is currently 10 points ahead of the young German driver. However, since the 2022 Canadian GP, it's as if a switch has been flipped in the young driver. He qualified into Q3 in Canada and was having a brilliant race before a mechanical DNF hit.
Schumacher Jr.'s brilliant performances in the 2022 British GP, Dutch GP and Austrian GP are also worth noting. He is currently ranked P15 on the table and has helped Haas propel to a P7 in the constructors. There is no doubt that this year has been much better for the German driver.
Verdict on the first two years of the Schumachers
Technically, Michael stands far ahead of his son, Mick. By the end of his second year, the seven-time world champion had managed to score 57 points while his son currently stands on a mere 12.
The Ferrari pilot was also very consistent with results in his second year, managing an average finish position of P3. While Mick is definitely not as consistent with his results as his father. As for personal mistakes, the father-son duo did make an almost similar number of crashes.
Further, a big factor to the results being so different is the fact that the duo raced/ race in different eras of F1. A race win or even consistent points finish is unlikely for a backmarker like Haas in today's world. While Michael got lucky in terms of shifting to a good team like Benetton, his son doesn't have many options right now.
It is very much possible that Mick simply awaits a better car to prove his true potential. However, it all still seems a little far away, and the young German has a long way to go to catch up with his father's many records.
