Mick Schumacher's F1 debut: What we learned

SAKHIR, Bahrain -- As debut tests go, they don't get more high-profile than Mick Schumacher's in Bahrain on Tuesday. Most drivers on the fringe of Formula One make their debut with a midfield or backmarker team; they get a chance to acclimatise to the level of engineering, the sheer speed of the car and the glare of the media without the burden of expectation. But not the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.

Regardless of which car he drove on Tuesday, he was going to attract attention. Everything, right down to the look in his eyes through his open visor, would be scanned for traces of his legendary father. His times would be analysed regardless of the data available and…