bigbadbrother
12-23-2014, 01:46 AM
Jerry Bonkowski
http://motorsportstalk.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/mick-schumacher-jr.jpg?w=320
The son of seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher appears to be ready to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Schumacher’s son, who calls himself “Mick Jr.,” spent a day of “secret testing” earlier this week in a Formula 4 single-seater car at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, according to Osterreich, Austria’s national daily newspaper.
The 120,000-seat track, which is a popular test facility for F1 teams, was the younger Schumacher’s playground for a day – and the 15-year-old progeny of one of the greatest F1 drivers in history – apparently didn’t do all that bad.
“Mick is certainly talented,” Mucke Motorsports team owner Peter Mucke told Osterreich (via PaddockTalk.com).
Indeed, the younger Schumacher is. He recently was named the World Karting Vice-Champion (runner-up) to Brit Enaam Ahmed in the FIA KF-Junior category World Championships in Essay, France.
Schumacher raced under the name of Mick Betsch (his mother Corinna’s maiden name) to minimize distractions and keep his father’s recovery from a Dec. 29, 2013 skiing accident private, as the family has requested.
After finishing second to Ahmed, Schumacher said, “Of course I am proud of such an important result. But it is also clear that it is my goal to be world champion. This is only the beginning of my career.”
Mucke cautioned about being overly optimistic so early in the younger Schumacher’s career.
“You cannot say absolutely that a good kart driver will be fast in a Formula One car,” Mucke said. “It is no good only having a great name as a driver, you have to be fast.”
Mucke refused to be any more specific on the younger Schumacher’s abilities or talent: “After a day of testing, no assessment of Mick is possible yet.”
Osterreich implied that this week’s test may actually be a tryout for a potential F4 ride in 2016, after an expected one more season in the karting ranks.
When reached, the elder Schumacher’s manager, Sabine Kehm, refused to comment about Mick Jr.’s racing status.
“I don’t want to say anything,” Kehm said.
http://motorsportstalk.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/mick-schumacher-jr.jpg?w=320
The son of seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher appears to be ready to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Schumacher’s son, who calls himself “Mick Jr.,” spent a day of “secret testing” earlier this week in a Formula 4 single-seater car at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, according to Osterreich, Austria’s national daily newspaper.
The 120,000-seat track, which is a popular test facility for F1 teams, was the younger Schumacher’s playground for a day – and the 15-year-old progeny of one of the greatest F1 drivers in history – apparently didn’t do all that bad.
“Mick is certainly talented,” Mucke Motorsports team owner Peter Mucke told Osterreich (via PaddockTalk.com).
Indeed, the younger Schumacher is. He recently was named the World Karting Vice-Champion (runner-up) to Brit Enaam Ahmed in the FIA KF-Junior category World Championships in Essay, France.
Schumacher raced under the name of Mick Betsch (his mother Corinna’s maiden name) to minimize distractions and keep his father’s recovery from a Dec. 29, 2013 skiing accident private, as the family has requested.
After finishing second to Ahmed, Schumacher said, “Of course I am proud of such an important result. But it is also clear that it is my goal to be world champion. This is only the beginning of my career.”
Mucke cautioned about being overly optimistic so early in the younger Schumacher’s career.
“You cannot say absolutely that a good kart driver will be fast in a Formula One car,” Mucke said. “It is no good only having a great name as a driver, you have to be fast.”
Mucke refused to be any more specific on the younger Schumacher’s abilities or talent: “After a day of testing, no assessment of Mick is possible yet.”
Osterreich implied that this week’s test may actually be a tryout for a potential F4 ride in 2016, after an expected one more season in the karting ranks.
When reached, the elder Schumacher’s manager, Sabine Kehm, refused to comment about Mick Jr.’s racing status.
“I don’t want to say anything,” Kehm said.