Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time Formula One world champion, capped his maiden racing appearance in India with a drive to second in the final race of the MRF Challenge series' season-ending round in Chennai yesterday
Mick Schumacher
Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time Formula One world champion Michael, capped his maiden racing appearance in India with a drive to second in the final race of the MRF Challenge series' season-ending round in Chennai yesterday.
Mick Schumacher. Pic/AFP
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Schumacher crossed the line 16.2 seconds behind Belgian Alessio Picariello, who stormed to a dominant win, and spent much of the race fending off Tatiana Calderon. The Colombian in turn held off Pietro Fittipaldi, grandson of double F1 world champion Emerson, to take third.
Schumacher had finished fifth in yesterday's opening race. That meant, with the reverse grid system being applied, he started the afternoon race second. Fittipaldi won that opening race to seal the MRF Challenge title.
Schumacher made a strong start from second but was unable to find a way past Picariello, who covered off any attack the 16-year-old German might have made.
From that point on Picariello was in a league of his own lapping around a second quicker than Schumacher.
"It feels great," Schumacher, ascending the podium to loud cheers from the grandstands, said.
"For sure, it feels great to drive with people which have experience, and to see that I can compete with them is just great," Schumacher, who finished third in the weekend's opening race on Saturday, said. Schumacher competed in the German Formula 4 series in 2015, his maiden season of single-seater racing.
He finished 10th in the standings after scoring one win and another podium. Although nothing has been announced, he's expected to contest another season.