02 December 2020

Michael Schumacher’s son Mick given Haas race seat: A look at F1 father-son duos

Mick Schumacher is set to become the latest son to follow his father onto the Formula One stage after being signed by Haas for next year.

Twenty-one-year-old Schumacher Jr will be far from the first second-generation driver to try his hand in F1

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at five of the best-known father-son duos to have graced the grid.

Graham and Damon Hill

Graham Hill bust returned to the BRDC (PA Archive)

Both father and son claimed driver titles during their careers, with Graham – a five-time winner of the Monaco Grand Prix – winning in 1962 and 1968 for BRM and Lotus respectively. Damon, meanwhile, triumphed with Williams in 1996, 21 years after his father was tragically killed in a plane crash aged 46. Damon left Williams for Arrows following his title win before bowing out of the sport after two years with Jordan.

Gilles and Jacques Villeneuve

[xdelx]

Gilles Villeneuve never quite managed the sport’s biggest honour, narrowly missing out to Ferrari team-mate Jody Scheckter in 1979 before he suffered a fatal accident at the Belgian Grand Prix three years later, dying at the age of 32. Having finished second to Williams team-mate Damon Hill in the previous season, Jacques topped the drivers’ standings in 1997 – the Canadian’s second season in F1 following previous success in IndyCar.

Nelson Piquet and Nelson Piquet Jr

Nelson Piquet boasts more championships than any other driver on this list, with the exception of Michael Schumacher, of course, thanks to his title-winning displays for Brabham in 1981 and 1983, and then Williams in 1987. His son – Nelson Piquet Jr – was less successful during a season and a half with Renault in the late 2000s, the highlight of which was a second-place finish at the 2008 German Grand Prix, but he went on to win the inaugural Formula E title in 2015.

Keke and Nico Rosberg

Like Graham and Damon Hill, the Rosbergs also boast two world champions in the family. And also like the Hills, Keke and Nico’s respective first titles were 34 years apart. Keke triumphed with Williams in 1982 despite winning only one of 16 races over the course of the campaign. Son Nico debuted for the same team in 2006 but won his only drivers’ crown for Mercedes a decade later after a fiercely fought campaign against team-mate Lewis Hamilton. He retired following the conclusion of the season.

Jos and Max Verstappen

Jos Verstappen was a team-mate of Michael Schumacher at Benetton as the German won his maiden title in 1994. At that season’s German Grand Prix, Verstappen’s car famously burst into flames in the pits after his car was inadvertently doused in fuel. Jos never finished higher than 10th in the drivers’ standings, but current Red Bull driver Max is tipped as a future world champion and has been the biggest threat to Mercedes’ dominance over the past couple of seasons – he finished third in 2019 and sits in the same position with two races of the 2020 campaign to go.

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox