Mick Schumacher has admitted he is poised to step up to one of the final steps before hitting formula one — European F3.
Teenager Lance Stroll, who at 18 is just a year older than F1 legend Michael Schumacher’s son, will himself step up to formula one next year with Williams.
Stroll is the new European F3 champion.
And that is the category that Mick Schumacher is likely to contest next year, as the young German is currently testing for the Prema F3 team in Germany.
"I’m going to race in Formula 3 — hopefully," Schumacher, who this year finished runner-up in the German and the Italian F4 categories, told the German press.
"The key thing for me is to collect more experience. If it works out, my full focus will be on Formula 3," he added.
European F3 is on the support bill of the German touring car championship DTM, whose boss Hans Werner Aufrecht admitted he is looking forward to Schumacher’s next step.
"It’s just incredible how this name fascinates people," he told Auto Bild. "Of course he will help us in many areas."
Meanwhile, Michael Schumacher’s former F1 boss Ross Brawn has told the BBC there are "encouraging signs" about the health of the seven time world champion.
"There are encouraging signs and we are all praying every day that we see some more progress and that one day we can see Michael out and about and recovered from his terrible injuries," he said.