Ferrari: Door "always open" for Mick Schumacher
Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Maurizio Arrivabene says "the door of Maranello is always open" for seven-time champion Michael Schumacher's son Mick.

The junior Schumacher currently lies second behind Dan Ticktum in the FIA F3 Championship, having won six races with Prema, including all three at the last event at the Nurburgring.
The family connections have long made Schumacher an obvious candidate for Ferrari’s Young Driver Academy, although thus far he had remained independent, with no direct links to any F1 teams.
Arrivabene stressed that it was crucial not to put Schumacher under undue pressure at this stage of his career.
“Concerning Mick Schumacher I think the most important thing is to let him grow, without giving pressure,” he said. “The recent results are very, very good, and I wish to him a great career.
"With a name like this, that wrote historical pages of Ferrari history, the door of Maranello is always open, of course. But without burning the step.
“That is a family decision, I mean a Schumacher family decision.
"But let the guys have fun. I always repeat this – be focussed, concentrated, but in the meantime have fun, and to grow slowly, but certainly, and then we’ll see about the future.
"How can you can say ‘no’ at Maranello to a name like this?”
Schumacher, whose father Michael has not been seen in public since being badly injured in a skiing accident in late 2013, is supported by Mercedes in F3 and drove the manufacturer’s DTM ‘taxi’ at the Nurburgring last weekend alongside his racing commitments.
Schumacher is expected to move to F2 next season, but is poised to end the year with enough points this season to qualify for F1's mandatory superlicence.
Drivers need 40 points over a three-year period and Schumacher already has 22, so he will be eligible for an F1 licence if he finishes in the top three in European F3 – 30 points are awarded to the champion, 25 to the runner-up and 20 to third place.
Schumacher earned 10 points for each of his second-place finishes in the 2016 German and Italian Formula 4 Championships.
He also received two for finishing second in the 2014 CIK-FIA World Karting Championship in the KF Junior category, and points earned in karting are valid for five years.
Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll are two recent examples of drivers moving directly from F3 to F1.
But when asked about Schumacher's short-term F1 prospects, Sauber boss Fred Vasseur said that the step is too great, and suggested that the German should take his time.
“Honestly I think there is a huge step between the F3 and the F1, and with the small number of test days we have during the winter, it’s I don’t want to say impossible, but it’s quite difficult to do the step," Vasseur said.
"It would make sense probably for him to do F2. But he could have a link with an F1 team, he could do some FP1s. There are many ways to prepare for F1.”

Mick Schumacher, PREMA Theodore Racing Dallara F317 - Mercedes-Benz
Photo by: FIA F3 / Suer

Previous article
Vettel "sad" to say goodbye to "zero bullshit" Raikkonen
Next article
Ferrari says 2021 F1 concepts "a bit underwhelming"

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Mick Schumacher |
Teams | Ferrari |
Author | Adam Cooper |
Ferrari: Door "always open" for Mick Schumacher
Trending
The updates Williams hopes will lead to a point-scoring return
After producing a car which demonstrated progress but lacked the points to prove it last year, Williams starts its new era of team ownership with the FW43B, its bid to continue the climb up the Formula 1 grid in 2021
How Ferrari plans to recover from its 2020 F1 nightmare
The 2020 Formula 1 season was Ferrari's worst for 40 years as it slumped to sixth in the standings. A repeat performance will not be acceptable for the proud Italian team, which has adopted a notably pragmatic approach to forging its path back to the top
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end