You said before the WEC season opener that the Alpine LMDh reminded you of your previous Formula 2 car. What did you mean by that, and was this impression confirmed?
Mick Schumacher: By that I meant the engine with its turbo drive, otherwise the driving experience is of course completely different. The Alpine feels more like a fast GT car, relatively heavy and with little downforce. This is especially evident here in Spa through the Eau Rouge and other curves. The car moves relatively quickly. But that depends on what you drove before. For example, when I talk to Jules Gounon (Alpine’s replacement driver for Ferdinand Habsburg; editor), he is surprised when I talk about low downforce in this car. I’m just used to a lot more.
Do you see the LMDh car as a driving challenge?
Mick Schumacher: To speak of a driving challenge would probably be going too far. I see it as a different challenge in the sense that as a driver I have to get used to something new. So far this has worked well. When I’ve driven different cars in the past, I’ve always gotten the hang of it pretty quickly. It’s important to me that I can get used to new cars quickly. This is also important for my current role in Formula 1, as reserve driver for Mercedes, McLaren and Williams.
Drivers like Jenson Button say that a hypercar is at least as complex to drive as a Formula 1 car. What do you think about that?
Mick Schumacher: Well, since Jenson last drove in Formula 1 (2017; editor), the F1 cars have developed a lot in terms of what a driver has to do. The hypercar is relatively uncomplicated and straightforward in comparison. We have various settings here that we can and must change on the steering wheel. But it is not as complex as a Formula 1 car.
With long-distance racing you have entered a new world in motorsport. What do you consider to be the biggest challenge?
Mick Schumacher: Driving in traffic is the biggest new thing for me in the races.
How have you adapted to driving in mixed traffic with GT3 cars and how are you coping?
Mick Schumacher: Well, as a racing driver you always like to overtake! I quickly felt comfortable with the traffic in the first races of the season. A driver like my teammate Nicolas (Lapierre; editor) has a lot of experience with this and knows exactly when and where he can best overtake the slower GT3 cars. I sometimes still have a hard time correctly estimating the width of our car. In formula cars I was used to sitting in the middle, whereas in the prototype we sit on the left side of the car.
What can you learn from exchanging ideas with your long-distance experienced teammates Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxiviere?
Mick Schumacher: There isn’t one particular point that stands out. What’s very interesting to me in the communication between us drivers is how much is shared with each other. We want to develop further as a team, and you can see that in meetings and outside of them. In Formula 1 it’s ‘one against one’, whereas here three drivers push in the same direction and work together. There is a lot of openness when we exchange tips and tricks.
As you said, in formula racing you are a lone fighter. How did you make the transition to being a long-distance team player?
Mick Schumacher: I can tell the difference really well. I know that we can develop further as a team here and be further ahead with the car if I share things and get involved. I’m self-centered in the sense that I say, ‘I’m sharing my stuff with you so that in the end I can move forward with you.’ With this approach I keep the mentality of a lone fighter, but together as a team.
In Qatar and Imola you were on average the fastest of all six Alpine riders. Do such values and numbers mean something to you?
Mick Schumacher: I don’t care. I want to be the fastest, that’s my goal. I’m also looking forward to Le Mans because it’s the only track I don’t know yet. I can see how fast my teammates are on a track they know and how quickly I can get used to this new situation.
In endurance racing it is often difficult to stand out as a team driver. What would you consider a personal success?
Mick Schumacher: I just want to continue to give my best performance. At the end of the season I would consider that a personal success. This is my first season in the Hypercar class and also our first as a team. It wouldn’t be fair to say that fifth place in the championship is our goal. We’d rather see that we all give our best performance and see what happens in the end.
There were rumors for a long time that your friend Sebastian Vettel would also be driving in the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year. That didn’t happen. Would you have liked to see him at Le Mans?
Mick Schumacher: I always like to see Sebastian, no matter where! I have never experienced the 24 Hours of Le Mans myself. After the race I’ll probably tell him whether it’s worth it or not.
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