Mick Schumacher wins F3 European title

Published 10/13/2018, 12:58 PM EDT

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Mick Schumacher claimed victory in the Formula 3 European title with a race to spare, as he finished second in Hockenheim, his home race, which makes it an even more special occasion.

“I am absolutely delighted,” said junior Schumacher. “What this team has achieved over the last year is unbelievable.” He was believed to be headhunted by Toro Rosso and this may boost his chances.

via Imago

However, Red Bull’s Helmut Marko later shot down those rumours. Schumacher drove for Prema in his second F3 season and has won eight races this season, building a 49-point advantage coming into the final round over closest rival and Red Bull junior, Dan Ticktum.

Ticktum himself only managed seventh place, which was enough for Schumacher to seal the title as he had to only outscore him by 15 points. The title will come as a huge boost for young Schumacher after a difficult first season, where he finished only 12th.

This year also got off to a bad start for him as he failed to score in the opening race in Hockenheim following a first-lap collision. The fact that it happened at his home race was even more painful. However, he came full circle today.

via Imago

Schumacher finished second to Juri Vips, who won the race from pole position and is also  Ticktum’s team-mate. As mentioned earlier, he was reportedly in line for a Toro Rosso seat but Red Bull denied any rumours.

However, this title win may yet change their mind on the issue. Toro Rosso still have a seat vacant for 2019, having only confirmed the return of Daniil Kvyat as of now. Brendon Hartley has not done much of note this season to warrant a seat next year.

However, it may yet be too soon for Mick, considering that he still has to go through the grinds of F2. Drivers like Lance Stroll have made the leap directly from F3 and Max Verstappen won a race at 18, but those instances are few and far between.

 

 

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Written by:

Rahul Venkat

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