Mick Schumacher said he "can only see the benefits" of being the son of arguably Formula 1's greatest ever driver.
The German racer naturally is the focus of extra attention from fans and the media as a result of his surname. But that doesn't mean he hasn't earned his place in the sport on merit, winning the European F3 title before becoming champion in his second season in Formula 2.
Asked by reporters if he believes he is under additional pressure as a result of his family ties, he replied: "No, not that I know [of]. I'm sure that it has benefits and negatives, but I only see the benefits of it. I'm proud to be representing that name and to be able to show what I'm able to do."
And he took the opportunity to pay tribute to a tight-knit family that has always supported his racing dreams, even amid the difficult circumstances of his dad's health following his tragic skiing accident. "I have great support – I think that's the biggest point. I'm grateful and I'm lucky to have such great parents," he added.
"Besides who we are, I think the whole mentality side of our family is amazing. It's something that I would wish everybody to have. Unfortunately, not everybody has it. I've been able to grow in my own space, in my own time, and I was never forced to do anything.
"That's a huge benefit in motorsport, because I feel like not a lot of drivers have that privilege, to learn at their own pace, but actually were forced to learn quicker, maybe were brought up very harshly, which I've never experienced."
Schumacher finally broke his long points drought last month, scoring in back to back races at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring. But despite that upturn in form, his place on the grid next year is not yet secure.
His contract expires at the end of the current season, and Guenther Steiner has revealed that renewal talks are yet to begin. Haas are expected to want to keep him on board, though there is the possibility Ferrari might prefer to move their development driver to their other customer team, Alfa Romeo.
If Schumacher was to find himself without a seat for whatever reason, he has been warned by German racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck that it could be "fatal" for his F1 career. But the former DTM champion backed the 23-year-old, adding: "A team looking for a young driver can do no better than signing Mick Schumacher."
