Mick Schumacher admitted he is saddened by the news that Sebastian Vettel will retire from the FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the end of the season.
Vettel has acted as a kind of mentor to Schumacher since he joined Formula 1 at the start of last season, much like his father Michael Schumacher did to Vettel when he joined the sport.
Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team’s Vettel confirmed that 2022 would be his last year in Formula 1 on Thursday, and Haas F1 Team’s Schumacher says it will leave a huge hole in the sport.
“Of course, I’m very sad on one side,” Schumacher is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com. “He is obviously going to leave a huge hole in the sport, because he’s such a character in F1, and such a special person.
“But he’s also such a likeable person. So I’ll miss him very much. It’s much more than just the races. It’s being able to go visit him in the evenings and have dinner with him. That’s what I’m really going to miss.
“He’s just somebody that I’m able to talk to in my own language. He’s going to be super, super missed by everybody, but especially by me.”
Schumacher was informed of Vettel’s impending announcement prior to it being released to the public, but he admitted it was not as big a surprise as it could have been.
“I wouldn’t say surprised. I mean, I know Seb pretty well. I feel and I know that he’s got other things that he wants to do,” he said. “And at the end, I feel if he feels it’s the right time, then he should do it.
“And I feel sometimes it’s also just a matter of gut feeling. So I support it 100%.”
As well as his driving abilities, Vettel is renowned for his outspoken opinions about the environment, equality and human rights, and Schumacher says it will be difficult, if not impossible, for him to be replaced.
“I think nobody can replace Sebastian,” Schumacher said. “That’s a fact. If it’s not on track, it’s in a political way, and I think that yes, it is important to have somebody who speaks up and also attacks those points.
“But I think Sebastian has not stopped yet. As he said in his video, there’s more to come.
“And I’m sure that we can all learn from what he still has to say. I’m sure that he will still have a big voice in F1 even if he’s not himself driving.”