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Mick Schumacher, the son of Ferrari legend Michael, is set to follow in his father’s footsteps after signing a deal with Ferrari.
The 19-year-old has been linked to both Ferrari and Mercedes in recent times, both teams that his father raced for, and pen has finally been put to paper with the Prancing Horse.
He said: “I am thrilled that Ferrari has entered a partnership with me and my next future in motorsport will be in red, being part of the Ferrari Driver Academy and also of the Scuderia Ferrari family.
“Again, this is another step forward in the right direction, and I can only profit from the immense amount of expertise bundled there. Be sure I will make everything to extract whatever helps me achieve my dream, racing in Formula 1.
“It is more than obvious that Ferrari has a big place in my heart since I was born and also in the hearts of our family, so I am delighted on a personal level about this opportunity as well.”
The deal includes two tests with the Italian outfit as well as time in Ferrari’s simulator.
Schumacher will fulfil his Ferrari duties while also competing in his first season in Formula 2 with Prema Racing Rosso this season.
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said: “For someone like me who has known him from birth, there’s no doubt that welcoming Mick into Ferrari has a special emotional meaning, but we have chosen him for his talent and the human and professional qualities that have already distinguished him despite his young age.”
Next week Schumacher Jr will take part in the pre-season preparation with the other FDA drivers.
A number of drivers have progressed through the Ferrari academy into F1, including Charles Leclerc, who joins Sebastian Vettel at the team this season, and new Sauber signing Antonio Giovinazzi.
But a place in it is not a guarantee of a future in F1.
Speaking in December following Schumacher’s victory in the European Formula 3 championship, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff said: “He’s won the Formula 3 championship this year with Mercedes engines, which is great, but he’s not part of the Mercedes-Benz junior programme.
“The most important thing is to give him time. He has this incredible legacy of having a father who was the most successful racing driver of all-time.
“He’s won F3, ticked the box, now he’s going into F2, which should be very difficult again against many experienced drivers.
“I have no doubt he has the potential to be a successful driver in Formula 1. Maybe one day with us, maybe not.”
His father, Michael, won five of his record seven world titles with Ferrari. The legend, who turned 50 earlier this month, has not been seen in public since suffering severe brain injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013.
In 2014, the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) named the first corner of its track after Mick’s father, the F1 legend who won a record 91 races in addition to his seven world titles.
In 2016, Mick became the first member of his famous family to drive around the Michael Schumacher Turn as he stormed to victory in two of the four MRF Challenge 2016 races held at the Bahrain Motorsport Festival.
Michael won the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix in 2004. Some newspapers claimed that Pedro de la Rosa held the BIC lap record (1:31.447 in 2005) despite Schumacher Snr’s 1:30.252 lap in 2004 being faster. An F1 official clarified the situation, telling GulfWeekly: “Pedro de la Rosa’s 2005 lap record set in a McLaren MP4/20 is more than a second slower than Schumacher’s fastest lap for Ferrari.
“The discrepancy is due to kerbs being realigned at Turn Four, changing the racing line sufficiently for the revision to be considered a new track layout.”
Michael had strong connections with the BIC outside of his participation in racing and was directly involved in the early stages of the BIC’s development, offering his own input into the design of the track, including the layout of Turn One which eventually was renamed in his honour.
Meanwhile, former Manor and Sauber driver Pascal Wehrlein is to be a Ferrari development driver this year. The German, whose position as a Mercedes young driver was ended last year, is to undertake work in Ferrari’s simulator.
He is a replacement for Russian Dani Kvyat, who fulfilled the role last year but is returning to the grid with Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso this coming season.
The race action kicks off in Australia on March 17 before the F1 bandwagon rolls into Bahrain for the weekend two weeks later with the Sunday race taking place on March 31.
