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Mick Schumacher had a rather quirky first interaction with Kevin Magnussen the first time he met the Danish driver.
The young German greeted his Haas teammate with an expletive the first time he met him. That was in reference to the infamous incident between Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg a few years back.
However, talking to Sport Bild, Magnussen was all praise for Schumacher and how easy it was for him to get along with the German, saying:
"His very first words to me were ‘s*ck my balls!’. Mick has a good sense of humour. From that moment, it was clear to me we would have a good relationship. Mick is extremely nice and very relaxed. He doesn’t pretend and isn’t aloof. That’s not a given for Formula 1 drivers. I respect him a lot.”
Magnussen also took a rather defensive stand for Mick Schumacher, going after critics who linked the German's ascension to F1 to his famous surname. Schumacher, even before he arriving in F1, had a rather successful junior career, winning both the F2 and F3 championships with Prema Racing.
Magnussen said:
“He’s a top driver. Many say he’s only in Formula 1 because of his last name. That’s not true. He withstood the pressure his name brings and delivered."
He continued:
“He has earned his place in Formula 1. Mick is getting better every week and has already reached a new level in the first races of this season. He will be scoring his first points in the near future. He’s very meticulous. It’s impressive to see how Mick pays attention to every little detail.”
Mick Schumacher under tremendous pressure to perform against Magnussen
The 2022 F1 season could not have started better for Magnussen, as he took over the lead role in the team from the very first race. Mick Schumacher, meanwhile, has been plagued by crashes, errors and a general lack of speed compared to his teammate.
This season, except for the Australian GP, Mick Schumacher has been off the pace of his teammate in every race. To exacerbate matters, there have been incidents that have thwarted his progress as well.
Whether it was the incident with Esteban Ocon in Bahrain, the crash in qualifying in Saudi Arabia or the spin at the start in Imola, it's been a below-par start to his season. Schumacher will hope to turn things around soon because his contract with the team ends this season.
