Mick Schumacher: I fished for Mercedes boxes in Montreal

Before the weekend in Montreal, the Haas rider looked back on his previous visits to Canada and spoke about his expectations for the upcoming event.

Q: Have you ever been to Montreal before?
Mick SchumacherA: I was in Montreal once or twice when I was 11 or 12 years old. I remember it was fun, because this track was unlike any I’d been to before. There were a lot of marmots on the territory of the autodrome, which seemed funny to me.

As a child I fished for Mercedes boxes and made a hook out of stationery. I even managed to catch a few fish after which they bought me a small fishing rod.

I also remember asking the team for permission to get on the grid, and they said I could do it if I baked a cake. I baked it, poured icing over it, brought it to the team and then got a pass to the grill! I have good memories of Canada.

Question: You have not participated in the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve before. What do you already know about the job characteristics?
Mick Schumacher: The proximity of the walls resembles city roads, but in all other respects it is a stationary circuit. The circuit is also unique in that it is surrounded by water from almost all sides – there is only something similar in Melbourne, but they are still different.

As for the configuration, I only know it from working on the simulator and look forward to its arrival. There have been exciting races here in the past and I am sure we will see an interesting fight this year as well.

Q: How excited are you to be back in North America, given the increased interest in F1 in that part of the world since Drive to Survive?
Mick Schumacher: In general, I am happy that the fans are returning to the stands, because their presence is motivating. It’s nice to see people enjoying the sport and understanding Formula 1. I’ve been racing since I was three years old, so it’s great to share a common passion with the public.

Q: The stage in Canada is the last outing until October. Will racing in Europe somehow affect your work during the season?
Mick Schumacher: Everyone, not just racers, flights are not easy. In a few days we have to fly from one continent to another. Sounds crazy, but everyone has to deal with it.

I am sure that after returning to Europe the stress of preparing the cars and moving from track to track will decrease. We will return to the usual rhythm, but the stress will not go away completely, although it will be less than during the flight from Azerbaijan to Canada.