Schumacher “should just do his thing” according to Bernie Ecclestone

Former F1 owner Bernie Ecclestone has urged Mick Schumacher to ‘just do his thing’ after all the hype surrounding him this weekend.

Son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, Mick, had a large gathering of press around him in Bahrain as it was confirmed he will be testing for Ferrari and Alfa Romeo next week.
 
Schumacher won the European F3 Championship last year and is racing in the F2 Championship this year, he has signed a deal with Ferrari, who his father had great success with, on a development programme.
 
Ecclestone feels the German needs to just focus on himself and the start of F2 rather than the medias concerns.
 
"People will always compare him," Ecclestone told Auto Bild.

"He must be half hoping that he wins [the Formula 2 race], and half hoping that he loses. My advice is that he cannot get involved with all of that, he should just do his thing.”

Current McLaren driver Carlos Sainz expressed his sympathy with Schumacher as his father, Carlos Sainz Sr, was a world rallying legend.

Sainz said (quoted by GPFans.com): "I really sympathise with him, because I know something about this.

"Mick will have a hard time this season.

"When you are the son of a champion, sometimes it can be a painful experience, because people are always saying 'Here is the son of such and such'.

"You also want to earn a name for yourself, and I have no doubt that Mick is also doing that."