Mick Schumacher felt it was ‘quite an experience’ after being given the opportunity to complete a handful of demonstration runs with the Mercedes-AMG DTM race taxi at the Nurburgring on Friday.
The German racer, who has taken race victories in each of the past three FIA European Formula 3 Championship rounds, was given initial instructions from former DTM Series champion and Mercedes-protégé Pascal Wehrlein before heading out on track.
It was Schumacher’s first taste of the Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM car and he admitted the power of the car was ‘impressive’, and he thanked Gerhard Berger, the chairman of ITR that promotes the series for the opportunity.
“I had great fun. It was quite an experience,” admitted Schumacher. “Many thanks to Gerhard Berger for the invitation. The power of a DTM car is very impressive. In these weather conditions, it was slightly warmer than normally in a Formula 3 car.
“Being thrown in at the deep end is thrilling. Pascal’s background knowledge was helpful. For instance, he gave me a tip concerning brake pressure.”
Berger was supportive of giving Schumacher the opportunity after seeing how he has been progressing in Formula 3, and he feels the nineteen-year-old is beginning to show the kind of genes that took his father, Michael Schumacher to seven Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championships.
“The ITR guys came up with the idea,” said Berger, who raced against the elder Schumacher in the final three and a half years of his own Formula 1 career. “I was excited right away and I supported it, just like Mercedes-AMG and then we made it happen.
“Mick is doing very well in Formula 3 and has scored his first race wins there. Watching the boy as he is gradually showing his Schumacher genes and how he was enjoying our DTM car today is a pleasure for me.
“Michael Schumacher is a legend, he is the best Formula 1 driver ever.”
