Mick Schumacher recently revealed a facet of his training regimen that’s just as dangerous as his racing: skydiving. At the Canadian Grand Prix, Schumacher casually told Motorsport.com, “I also like skydiving,” alongside his routine activities of gym workouts and cycling.
Skydiving isn’t just a newfound hobby for Schumacher; it’s a tradition embedded in his family
My first skydive, if I remember right, I was eight or nine years old. It was obviously a tandem jump. Basically going up, I did not really like it so much, and then my sister did it and I was like ‘damn, if my sister could do it, now I have to do it’,” Schumacher joked. Conquering his initial fears, the sensation of freefall enamored him to the extent of pursuing it aggressively.
“So I jumped out with my eyes closed, but I loved it so much I went back up again straight away.” By age 16, he was skydiving solo, and now he boasts over 1,600 jumps and holds a skydiving license.
More than an adrenalin rush, Schumacher finds skydiving beneficial to his racing technique, improving his coordination and quick decision-making skills that he uses so often on track.
It is not only an opportunity for me to get to know my body better, you have this ordination of feet, hands, body, head, and eyes, and what they do. It gives you an idea of what to do when racing but it also gives you knowledge about weather and winds,” he explained. “Sometimes you might get pushed into a peculiar position so you have to act quickly, that I knew how to do from racing but it helps to emphasize it time and again, especially when you have no security around you like in a race car.”
Despite its thrill, skydiving holds sentimental value for Schumacher, linking him to cherished moments spent with his father, 7-time champion Michael Schumacher. “I love doing it because it was something I shared with my dad,” he shared.
Professionally, after a stint with Haas, Schumacher is now a reserve driver for Mercedes F1 team and competes in the World Endurance Championship for Alpine.
Working with Alpine is an opportunity for a team on the F1 grid to get to know me better. It allows me to be a more rounded driver and try different disciplines because it could give me [a better chance], even if it is an extra 1%,” he stated.
“I will continue trying until I succeed and I don’t see any reason to give up. My focus is to get back to F1, that has been my dream since childhood and I will not give up on it. If people knew how hard I was working, it would make their mind up in a different way.”
