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Mick Schumacher talks Sebastian Vettel friendship after Miami GP crash


Mick Schumacher talks Sebastian Vettel friendship after Miami GP crash

Haas’ Mick Schumacher, left, and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, right, are very close friends (Picture: Getty)

Mick Schumacher is hopeful that his friendship with Sebastian Vettel is still intact after the pair collided during Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix.

In the closing stages of the race the two drivers were scrapping for the final few points positions when Schumacher attempted to pass his fellow German at turn one, only for the Haas driver to hit the rear of Vettel’s car, after the Aston Martin driver closed the door.

Vettel retired soon after the crash, while Schumacher was able to finish, albeit in 15th and last of those still racing.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Vettel was seeing thing, shouting on the team radio: ‘Which gap was that!? Well, that’s it I guess. F**k!’

The pair are very close friends, with Schumacher viewing Vettel as an inspiration and mentor – in the same way Vettel viewed Mick’s father, the legendary seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.


Vettel and Schumacher collided in the closing stages at Miami (Photo: Getty)

Vettel and Schumacher collided in the closing stages at Miami (Photo: Getty)

‘I’m sure it will be good for me to understand what Seb thinks about it, but we just have to move on from here,’ Mick Schumacher said after the race.

‘It’s nice that I can learn from him. He is so valuable to me as a friend [but] obviously we are racers.

‘I think the pace was there and even keeping Esteban [Ocon] in an Alpine behind definitely showed we had great pace.

‘We were able to stay with the guys ahead and especially with Fernando [Alonso].’

Thankfully for Schumacher it appears that no serious harm has been done to the friendship, with Vettel saying: ‘It’s a shame we both made contact.

More: F1

‘I didn’t expect him [to be there] when I saw him it was too late. We should have done better.

‘I’m disappointed for Mick and myself obviously. The two of us lost a good opportunity to score points today.’

The crash meant that Schumacher missed out on scoring his first points in Formula 1, and he remained 19th in the standings after five races.

Vettel, who missed the first two rounds of the season after catching COVID-19, has shown some good pace in an improving Aston Martin car but the four-time world champion stays 14th with four points.

Haas and Aston Martin look set to fight it out in what is shaping up to be a tight battle in the bottom half of the table, with the former just nine points ahead.

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