Mick Schumacher Q&A: Italian Grand Prix
September 7, 2022
Mick previews Round 16 of the season, the Italian Grand Prix, which sees Formula 1 race in Europe for the final time in 2022.
Round 16 of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship brings us to Monza, for the Italian Grand Prix. It’s another track founded on high-speed straights, a circuit characteristic which hasn’t always played to the strengths of the VF-22. Knowing that before going into the weekend, how do you adjust your approach and targets?
“It’s going to be a tough weekend but on the other hand we have those kinds of tracks where maybe our car isn’t performing just as much as we’d like it to, but it’s probably a small amount of tracks compared to the number of tracks that suit our car set-up.”
Having raced at Spa, Zandvoort and now coming to the ‘Temple of Speed’, for you as a driver how do those circuits compare knowing their historical importance as opposed to newer venues?
“I would say there is a bit more character in these kinds of tracks compared to newer tracks which are very flat, long with wide run-offs. It’s a bit different but Spa, Zandvoort and Monza used to be new tracks at some point, so it depends a bit on what you’re used to. At the moment, we’re very used to seeing those old school tracks, but I think we’re transitioning to a period where we’re getting more and more used to having large run off areas.”
It’s the final stop on this triple-header, and final race in Europe before the F1 paddock moves to flyaway events. What will you do in the two weeks before we gear up for Singapore and how do you prepare for the change in time zone?
“I will of course have some days off, but it’s still a busy time. Next week I’m visiting the AMB exhibition with Haas Automation as well as being in the simulator. The week after, Kevin and I are going to the official opening of the Home Deluxe Arena in Paderborn, Germany, amongst some other appointments. Having joined Formula 1 during COVID times and there being a lot of restrictions, it’s cool to be working with partners away from track as well now.
“For sure I’ll be going in with the mindset of getting ready for Singapore as it’s one of the toughest races on the calendar coming our way with very high humidity and temperatures. Also the track is very bumpy which will probably be felt in these new stiffer Formula 1 cars. We’ve gone away from hydraulic suspension and over to mechanical suspension which has a big effect in how the ride happens, hence the bouncing issues some people have.”