Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has tipped Mick Schumacher for greatness after the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher secured the European Formula 3 title at the weekend.
Schumacher took the title with one race left to run after a sensational second half of the season propelled him from ninth in the championship in mid-July to a dominant 57-point victory by season’s end on Sunday. The overall victory means he can now qualify for an F1 superlicence, but he is more likely to make the step up to F2 next year than fast track straight to Formula One.
Wolff, whose Mercedes engines powered Schumacher to the title, was quick to offer his congratulations to the 19-year-old.
“Congratulations to Mick on winning the FIA Formula 3 European Championship title,” he said. “Attention was focused on the youngster right from the start, and he was under a lot of pressure.
“It’s not easy coping with all that, especially if the season does not get off to the best of starts, as in this case. His performance in the second half of the season was therefore all the more impressive.
“He has shown that he has what it takes and that he can become one of the greats in our sport.
“We are also obviously delighted that he registered a 500th race win for Mercedes in F3 and that he secured the title in a Mercedes-powered car.”
The F3 championship is Schumacher’s first in single seaters but is a big step towards his stated aim of driving in Formula One.
He is not officially affiliated with a Formula One team, but earlier this year Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said the door would always be open for Schumacher at the Italian team.