APRIL 13, 2016

Mick Schumacher not thinking of F1 yet

Mick Schumacher's manager has played down any talk the 17-year-old might soon be ready for formula one.

Mick Schumacher's manager has played down any talk the 17-year-old might soon be ready for formula one.

Mick, the son of the F1 legend and seven time world champion Michael, kicked off a busy schedule in Formula 4 this year with two wins last weekend.

The German made his single-seater debut last year but Sabine Kehm, who doubles as Michael and Mick's manager, opted against pushing the youngster into F3 this year.

"He is now a year older, has more experience, is focused and has become stronger mentally," she is quoted by the German newsmagazine Focus.

"Therefore, we believe it is a good thing for him to do another year of Formula 4."

Last year, Max Verstappen famously made his F1 debut as a 17-year-old, stepping straight out of European F3 - surely Schumacher's next move - to grand prix stardom.

But Kehm said of Mick Schumacher: "Formula one is, of course, somewhere far away, for all of these (Formula 4) guys. It is not an issue that plays a role in our everyday work and thinking.

"It is still too far away for that," she insisted.

(GMM)