The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and international interest.

Standard Group Plc HQ Office,
The Standard Group Center,Mombasa Road.
P.O Box 30080-00100,Nairobi, Kenya.
Telephone number: 0203222111, 0719012111
Email: [email protected]

NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

Michael Schumacher's son, Mick, to make his Formula 1 debut this weekend

Sports

By Mirror | Sep 10, 2020

Prema Racing's German driver and winner Mick Schumacher celebrates with his trophy on the podium after winning the Formula Two championship race of the Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring circuit in Mogyorod near Budapest, Hungary, on August 4, 2019. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP)

Mick Schumacher - son of Formula 1 legend Michael - will make his F1 debut ahead of this weekend's Tuscan Grand Prix.

Schumacher currently competes in the Formula 2 Championship for Prema Theodore Racing but will take part in free practice at Mugello Circuit on Friday.

It is unknown which constructor the 21-year-old will represent but Alfa Romeo and Haas are thought to be the leading contenders.

Schumacher is second in the F2 rankings to Briton and fellow Ferrari Driver Academy member Callum Ilott.

And his performances are set to be rewarded with a first step up into the world of Formula 1 in Tuscany.

“He's doing very well this season in Formula 2,” Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto told German outlet BILD last month.

“His job was to improve and make progress. He's doing that. We'll discuss what we're going to do with him next year very soon.

Mick Schumacher, the 18-year-old son of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael, gets prepared to drive one of his father's Benettons car at the Spa-Francorchamps race track near Francorchamps, on August 27, 2017. The Schumacher family is marking the 25th anniversary of the German’s maiden victory, in Belgium in 1992, with son Mick driving the track in his father’s 1994 Benetton car to honour his father’s achievements. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / STEPHANIE LECOCQ

“The 21-year-old belongs to the Italian youth academy. The next logical step would be first of all a smaller Formula 1 team where he can get to know everything and then slowly move up.”

Schumacher's past achievements including his triumph in the 2018 Formula 3 European Championship, which propelled him into last year's Formula 2 competition.

He won the most recent F2 race at Monza to close the points gap on Ilott despite crashing out of Qualifying. Discussing his victory at the weekend, Schumacher said: “I am very happy with the result today.

"I think that the team did a mega job to get the car out again after yesterday’s incident in Qualifying. When you are pushing, you are obviously trying to improve yourself and I went a bit over the limit and therefore ended up in the wall.

“It was a long night for the boys, so I really wanted to get good points for them. I didn’t think that I was going to win, but I wanted good points and a good race for the guys.

"They stayed up until 2am yesterday and worked on the car to get it ready. They did that and they did it in style, so I am very, very proud of them.

“This race is for them. We as a team really deserve this one. It was a really good race, everything just worked, and I am really, really happy.”