What was on your Christmas wish list?
Mick: “I haven’t written it yet. But I’m super happy. I have already had a lot.
I would like everyone to have a happy Christmas. I wish it with all my heart.”
Todt, Domenicali, Brawn, Binotto. Who do you feel closest?
Mick: “Each and every one of them. The people who worked with my dad have made up a great sporting history. It’s a privilege for me to listen to them, to feel their presence.”
Max Verstappen said that many would win as much as Hamilton with Mercedes. Do you agree with him?
Mick: “When we look at a champion who dominates an entire era, there is the risk of overlooking something important. The enormous amount of work it requires.”
You are 21 years old. Is it difficult to control your emotions?
Mick: “I grew up in a special context, every driver has a long time of training and competition behind him. Motorsport requires you to learn a kind of code, to get used to a number of typical situations. I adapted, I tried to apply rationality to every challenge because the consequences of your behaviour are decisive. In what terms you will verify this in the days, months, years to come.”
You have a habit of watching races from the past. What do you look for when you watch old Grand Prix races?
Mick: “The most authentic and profound meaning of some moments that have marked the history of racing. Today the gestures, the techniques, the approaches are the fruit of what belongs to the past. I am particularly interested in overtaking. The techniques and style of overtaking. Time changes the cars and the dynamics but there is always the opportunity to discover something that has affected the subsequent chapters. In the development of a sport as complex as ours, many valuable things can be identified.”
The references to your father Michael are continuous. Your mother’s strength, courage and dedication are much less talked about…
Mick: “It’s true. I consider her the best mother in the world. Her example has been fundamental for me.”
The sons of champions feel the need to free themselves of a heavy legacy by winning. Is that the same for you?
Mick: “I have never had a problem when my father Michael is remembered, when a comparison is sought. I think it’s an honour and an incentive to be involved with such an important person. For me it means commitment, trying to do my best, if possible and I don’t experience all this with a heavy heart.”
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