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MICHAEL SCHUMACHER

Mick Schumacher joins Ferrari Driver Academy

Mick Schumacher, the teenage son of seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher, has joined Ferrari's Driver Academy, the Italian Formula One stable confirmed on Saturday.

Published: 20 January 2019 11:19 CET

Mick Schumacher joins Ferrari Driver Academy

Mick Schumacher. Photo: AFP

Schumacher, 19, who races in Formula Two next season, will take part in the pre-season activities of the Ferrari Driver Academy starting next week.

“I am thrilled that Ferrari has entered a partnership with me and my future in motorsport will be in red, being part of the Ferrari Driver Academy and also of the Scuderia Ferrari Family,” said Schumacher.

The European Formula 3 champion will be joined by fellow Formula 2 racers Callum Ilott and Giuliano Alesi, along with Marcus Armstrong, Robert Schwartzman, Enzo Fittipaldi and Gianluca Petecof.

“Be sure I will make everything to extract whatever helps me achieve my
dream, racing in Formula 1,” said Schumacher.

“This is another step forward in the right direction, and I can only profit from the immense amount of expertise bundled there.

“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.”

Michael Schumacher, 50, has not been seen in public since suffering head injuries during a accident on December 29th, 2013 while skiing with Mick and his condition is a secret closely guarded by his family.

Ferrari's Museum at Maranello is currently hosting an exhibition to mark Schumacher's 50th birthday.

In Schumacher's record-breaking F1 career he won an as yet unequalled seven world titles, 91 victories and 155 podiums.

“For someone like me who has known him from birth, there's no doubt that welcoming Mick into Ferrari has a special emotional meaning,” said Ferrari's new Team Principal Mattia Binotto, “but we have chosen him for his talent and the human and professional qualities that have already distinguished him despite his young age.”

READ ALSO: Ferrari to mark Schumacher's 50th birthday with exhibition in Modena

IN PHOTOS: Ferrari unveils its new car for the 2020 season

The new Ferrari SF1000. All photos: AFP/Ferrari press office

Ferrari unveiled its new SF1000 car for the 2020 Formula One season, which they hope will deliver a first world drivers title since 2007, during a glitzy ceremony on Tuesday.

The single-seater's name acknowledges the fact that the Italian team will start its 1,000th world championship race during the coming campaign, which begins with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 15.

Narrower than last season's SF90, with a deeper red colouring the body, Ferrari is pinning its hopes on the SF1000 car earning them drivers and constructors titles that have eluded them for 12 and 11 years respectively.

“I like it very much,” said German driver Sebastian Vettel.”It's much narrower at the back than last year and it is also redder, it's even better. I'm impatient to drive it, that will be even more fascinating than looking at it.”

The Scuderia broke with tradition and presented its new racing car outside of its stronghold of Maranello, unveiling it instead amid of sea of red on stage at the Teatro Romolo-Valli in the nearby city of Reggio Emilia.

“This is a very important place for our country,” chairman of the Ferrari group John Elkann explained.
“It was in this city that the tricolour flag, which became that of Italy, was created. And Ferrari is proud of Italy and of representing Italy.”

“This is a very special year,” continued Ferrari Team Manager Mattia Binotto.

“It's 70 years of Formula One, we have been there from the start and we are going to reach the figure of 1,000 Grands Prix, which is something incredible.”

Barring a forced change in the calendar because of the deadly coronavirus in Asia, the milestone should be reached in June during the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

“Maybe it looks a lot like the SF90, but I can assure you it is very different,” continued Binotto.

“We still have to make progress, especially on reliability,” he added, recalling that Ferrari, like the other teams, had to face “the double challenge” of preparing the next season in parallel with the following one, when new rules will come into force.

Binotto stressed that this season veteran Vettel and 22-year-old Charles Leclerc, who impressed on his debut last season, would be starting on an equal footing.

“We have seen that they can both fight for the best results. They are both on the same level. It is up to them to race,” he added.

Last season, the association between the experienced Vettel and Leclerc often turned into a duel, coming to a head when the two drivers collided during the Brazilian GP.

But 22-year-old Leclerc, who won two races and finished fourth place in the world championship, said lessons had been learned.

“We have learned the lesson from Brazil. We are free to race, but we are teammates,” he said.

“A lot of people are working behind us, as a team, and things like Brazil should not happen.”

Both drivers said they were impatient to try out the new car, which will be on track next week for the pre-season testing in Barcelona.

“I felt emotional when I saw it,” said Monaco's Leclerc.

“Now I can't wait to be out on track and try it and to show all the work that has been done on this car. It's going to be a great challenge,” he added. “I'm ready to learn from my mistakes to become an even better driver.”

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