Schumacher Jr misses first chance at securing F3 title

BERLIN: Mick Schumacher missed his first chance to win the Formula Three European drivers’ championship on Saturday after damaging his car, but still has two opportunities to secure the title this weekend.

The 19-year-old son of stricken seven-time world Formula One champion Michael Schumacher started the first of three races this weekend on Germany’s Hockenheim circuit, the final leg of the season, with a 49-point lead.

That was trimmed to 39 points on Saturday morning after he finished 12th despite fighting his way up the field after a clash early in the race with his Prema teammate Marcus Armstrong saw both drivers head to the pits for repairs.

Daniel Ticktum, Schumacher’s closest rival for the championship, finished fifth and the British teenager is now the only driver who can catch the German with two races left.

A maximum 25 points will be up for grabs in each race.

Schumacher is now guaranteed a top-two finish in the final Formula Three standings meaning he will qualify for a FIA ‘super licence’, a prerequisite for the jump to Formula One.

His father Michael Schumacher, 49, who won the German F3 championships 28 years ago, has not been seen in public since suffering serious head injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013.