Mick Schumacher follows in his father’s footsteps to win F3 title
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That's one more racing title for the Schumacher family.
Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher, secured the Formula 3 European Championship title on the final weekend in front of a home crowd at Hockenheim.
The 19-year-old German finished second in the second race on Saturday, achieving his 13th podium of the season to reach an insurmountable 347 points.
He backed that up on Sunday with another podium place, finishing in second to end the season on a high.
Winning the Formula 3 title means that Schumacher has now qualified for an Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) 'super licence', a pre-requisite for competing in Formula 1.
"It's a slightly unreal feeling, I'm absolutely delighted," Schumacher said.
Schumacher finished 12th in his maiden season in Formula 3, and struggled early this season before winning five straight races to wrest control of the championship from his rivals.
"It means everything to be honest, because it is the first real championship I have won."
"[There has been a] lot of hard work not only from myself but really the most hard work came from the team and I am really just grateful for what they have done all season long for me." Schumacher said.
"I am just happy that I can be here and really live the moment."
Early in his career, Schumacher raced under his mother's maiden name of Betsch to avoid the extra attention his father's famous name would garner.
Michael Schumacher won a record seven Formula 1 World Championship titles, winning 91 races in the process, which is also a record.
The 49-year-old driver, who raced for Jordan, Benneton, Ferrari and Mercedes during his career, suffered a significant brain injury after a skiing accident in December 2013.
He is currently receiving ongoing care at his home in Switzerland and has not been seen in public since the accident.
FIA boss Jean Todt — Michael's former boss at Ferrari where he won five of his championships — was one of the first to congratulate Mick.
External Link: Jean Todt tweet: Well done SchumacherMick Very proud of you.
Formula 3 has long been used a proving ground for future Formula 1 drivers, with Michael Schumacher winning the now-defunct German Formula 3 title in 1990.
Recent European F3 title winners include current F1 drivers Canadian Lance Stroll and Frenchman Esteban Ocon, with other graduates from the class including four-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.
With few clear vacant seats for the 2019 season being available though, it is likely that Schumacher will progress to the Formula 2 series rather than jump straight into the premier class.
AP/ABC
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