Schumacher: "I missed the smell of champagne"

Arrived in WEC with the Blues after two seasons in Formula 1, Mick Schumacher is obviously one of the attractions of the return of the A arrow to the highest peak of theEndurance this season. The German driver was at the wheel of the A424 n°36 during the last stint of the 6 Hours of Fuji, and it was therefore up to him to take the lead in the battle against the Porsche JOTA n°12 of Norman Nato. A tough but clean fight, to which Schumacher is getting more and more accustomed, he who is discovering this season the tight pelotons of Endurance, where the presence of bodywork enveloping the wheels allows for rougher fights than in car.

“It was a lively race! I had some close battles, I’m getting more and more confident in the battles and what I can do when fighting in the WEC. I didn’t expect it to be this tough, but these cars are actually quite strong and it reminds me of the years karting ! I didn't know it was Norman [in the Porsche], but everyone here is very professional, everyone fights to the limit, me too, and sometimes we go a little over the limit. It's normal and when he touched me a little on the straight, I said to myself that it's not like the battles in single-seaters! But I'm getting used to it."

THEAlpine had a late advantage over Nato's private Porsche, using two new tyres on the left side, compared to four used tyres for his opponent. This allowed Schumacher to remain calm and wait for the right opportunity to grab third place... while worrying about the return of the Peugeot #93, who finally finished fourth with four new tires!

“I really enjoyed that battle, I knew I had two new tyres on the left and he was on used tyres, so I had the advantage. So I had to be patient, it was just a matter of time before I managed to get into a position to pass him. I was a bit scared of the Peugeot at the end of the race, they had a very good pace with the four new tyres. We managed very well, the team did a great job and we can be delighted.”

Six hours of learning for Schumacher

At 25, Mick Schumacher has never hidden his desire to return to Formula 1 as soon as possible, after two seasons with the team. Haas. A desire that could sometimes seem from the outside like disdain for his role as an Endurance driver this season. But with this podium, the German has proven his commitment and the quality of his steering, while also learning about a discipline very different from what he has known until now.

“It’s definitely the most fun race I’ve done in WEC so far! And it’s also allowed me to learn a lot. My teammates gave me a lot of information during the race as well, and I had to return the favor during my stints. The three of us communicated a lot, and with the #35 too, and I’m grateful for that. We weren’t confident at all on the #36 at the start of the weekend, the #35 seemed to be doing a little better. There are a lot of things we still need to work on, but we can be happy with our race, the #35 was even fighting for the win at one point. For our first year in the category with an LMDh, it’s crazy.”

This is therefore the first time since 2020 and its title in F2 that Mick Schumacher got back on the podium… and some automatisms were no longer really there! "It's been a long time since I've been on a podium, I didn't really know what to do! It's my first podium since F2, I still don't like the smell of champagne too much, but it's definitely a smell that I've missed."

Interview by Valentin Glo, in Fuji.

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