Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel and Haas’ Mick Schumacher are looking forward to pairing up for the Race of Champions (ROC) in Sweden in February.
The ROC will move away from its stadium setting in 2022, instead moving to Sweden and Pite Havsbad – a holiday resort on the frozen Baltic Sea.
Vettel has won the Race of Champions six times with Mick’s father and seven-time F1 world champion Michael.
Vettel partnered the 22-year-old in Mexico in 2019, with the pair finishing second, beaten by Johan Kristoffersson and Tom Kristensen.
READ: Vettel hoping Schumacher has competitive car in 2022
Vettel understands the immense challenge of heading to Sweden to tackle very different conditions, but also sees that as part of the fun.
“I think it will be a huge challenge, heading into Scandinavia, in the winter. But I think it’s also going to be great fun, and that’s the the reason [for taking part],” Vettel said.
“That’s what most of my memories are about, it’s about fun on track and also off track that I shared with Michael.”
Vettel and Schumacher are good friends off track, with Vettel having shared a close relationship with Michael. Vettel was often labelled “Baby Schumacher” as a young racer, and says he wishes the 52-year-old could be in attendance.
“And obviously it’s great to share now the track and the car [and] the team with Mick, so [it’s] special, very special to me. [It’s] very sad and a shame that Michael isn’t there to watch us. I would have been happy to tell him that it’s time to step back and let Mick take over!”
Continuing, the Aston Martin driver said he is keen to take victory this time around.
“But yeah, [I’m] very much looking forward to spend the time together as ‘Team Germany’, and hoping to not finish [as] runner-up but to win the big one this time.”
Schumacher is also eager to turn second place in 2019 into victory in 2022.
“I think that we got quite close [to winning] in Mexico two years ago, so it will be time to try and win it,” said the Haas driver.
However, like Vettel, Schumacher is looking forward to the enjoyment and fun of racing something different ahead of the new Formula 1 season.
“And obviously, as Seb said, I think it’s just about having fun, driving some nice cars, and also enjoying the off time and off-season in a way, but still do it with what we love, and that’s racing.”
Vettel and Schumacher are staying put next year, with Vettel now entering his 16th full season in the sport and Mick beginning only his second year in Formula 1.
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