Mick Schumacher, the son of legendary Formula 1 racer Michael Schumacher, has made a move that would make his father quite proud, we imagine. The Ferrari Driver Academy announced it had signed a contract with the young racer on Monday.
Schumacher, 19, has quickly become a force in the motorsport community. He gunned his way through Formula 4 and became the Formula 3 European champion last year. For 2019, Schumacher will race in Formula 2 alongside two additional new Ferrari driver academy faces: Giuliano Alesi and Callum Ilott.
Mattia Binotto, team principal of Scuderia Ferrari, couldn't deny the emotional attachment that comes with Schumacher's signing, but also noted his move to Ferrari has everything to do with "his talent and the human and professional qualities that have already distinguished him despite his young age."
Schumacher's father helped Ferrari secure six manufacturer's titles from 1996 through 2006. Five of those titles were consecutive from 2000 through 2004. Michael Schumacher also holds the record for most F1 victories with 91. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG's current star F1 driver, is second with 73 wins.
On his decision to join the Ferrari driver academy and compete in Formula 2, Schumacher said he will extract everything he can to fulfill his dreams and race in the premier F1 series. Should he reach F1 with Ferrari, he would follow directly in his father's footsteps.
"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," Schumacher said.
Schumacher's father remains in recovery after a serious head injury suffered in 2013 while he was skiing. Updates on his health have been few and far between as his family requests privacy.