SCHUMACHER WINS EUROPEAN F 3 TITLE AFTER EMPHATIC END TO THE SEASON
Mick Schumacher sealed the Formula 3 European Championship title on home soil at Hockenheim with a race to spare last weekend.
The 19-year-old, son of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael, has dominated since the halfway point of the season – taking eight wins from the last 16 races.
On Saturday the Prema Powerteam driver secured the title after finishing behind Motopark’s Juri Vips in the second race.
“It’s hard to describe in words,” said Schumacher.
“I feel really grateful for what I’m able to live in this moment, to live this dream.
“We do what we love, so to also perform well in it is the best feeling you can get.”
Earlier in the day Schumacher collided with outside title contender and team-mate Marcus Armstrong on the opening lap in race one and had to pit for a new front wing, eventually salvaging 12th while Guan Yu Zhou won. In Sunday’s race, Robert Shwartzman won from Schumacher.
Former F1 driver and DTM chief Gerhard Berger believes Schumacher can emulate his father and reach the pinnacle of the sport.
“Mick doesn’t only look like his father, doesn’t only have the same posture and the same walk, he even has his father’s forearms as I noticed yesterday,” he said.
“But the decisive thing is: particularly in the past weeks, he has proven that he has his father’s racing driver genes.
“When he is able to keep on delivering this performance, his career path will bring him into Formula 1.”
Brit Dan Ticktum secured second in the championship, finishing 57 points adrift of Schumacher.
The Red Bull Junior driver took four wins this season and is still eyeing up a potential drive with Toro Rosso in F1 next season despite lacking enough superlicence points (see right).
Shwartzman secured third in the standings and Vips fourth, but the latter accused Ralf Aron of deliberately taking him out after the pair collided in the third race.
Vips claimed someone told him Aron would take him out to allow Shwartzman to snatch third in the standings, but Aron refuted the claims. He was given a 20-second time penalty for the collision.