MANAMA, Bahrain — Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion Michael, made his Formula One debut on Tuesday at the wheel of this year’s Ferrari.
Schumacher, who currently races in Formula 2, is due to take part in both days of this week’s test, driving for Ferrari on Tuesday and Alfa Romeo on Wednesday.
For a generation of F1 fans, the Schumacher name is synonymous with the success of Ferrari following a series of five world titles for Schumacher’s father between 2000 and 2004. Mick Schumacher joined Ferrari as part of its young driver academy over the winter, following the same route current Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc took into the sport in recent years.
Schumacher won the F3 title last year after a turnaround in form midway through the season. His first F2 race at the weekend in Bahrain was solid if not spectacular, finishing eighth in the feature race and sixth in the sprint race after starting on a reverse grid pole position. A move up to F1 in the future will likely depend on how he performs in the feeder series over the rest of the year.
Although expectations are high around Schumacher’s debut this week, his first day is likely to be a straightforward test session as Ferrari aims to get a better understanding of its car after the first two races. Sebastian Vettel will take over driving duties for the Italian team on Wednesday in an attempt to resolve the setup issues he had throughout the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.
Everything you need to know about Mick Schumacher
All ten teams are present in Bahrain for the two-day test, with McLaren and Toro Rosso running a second car as part of Pirelli’s test programme. The second Pirelli-run McLaren has allowed Fernando Alonso to make a return to F1 for the first time since his farewell race in Abu Dhabi last year. The Spaniard has made clear the test is not a precursor for a full return, but continues to leave the door ajar should the right opportunity come up.
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