Schumacher to become Mercedes junior (Update)

Mick Schumacher

UPDATE Mick Schumacher is to contest the FIA European F3 Championship in 2017 with Prema

The youngster, son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, finished runner-up in both the German and Italian F4 championships this year, taking 10 wins, 6 pole positions and 22 podium finishes with the Italian outfit Prema Powerteam.

He will remain with Prema in 2017 as he makes his F3 debut, the Italian outfit having finished 1st and 2nd in the 2016 standings courtesy of Lance Stroll and Maximilian Gunther.

"F3 will be the ideal step for me to make," said Schumacher, "and I am totally fired up for the new year to start.

"I am also really happy about staying with Prema, because this is such a professional team and I will again be able to learn a lot.

"The next season will surely be challenging, but the tests we've been doing in the past weeks proved the F3 car is extremely fun to drive. I can't wait for 2017 to begin!"

"We are thrilled to continue working with Mick in 2017," added team principal, Angelo Rosin. "Not only he is a skilled driver, he is a great guy and already showed he has all what it takes to be a top all-round professional.

"Debuting in a challenging series like the FIA F3 European Championship is not going to be easy, but we will be 100 percent behind Mick to help him keep impressing as he did this year."

12/06/16 (GMM) Mick Schumacher could now be on the cusp of becoming Mercedes' next official F1 junior driver.

With Esteban Ocon stepping up to Force India next year, and Pascal Wehrlein on the cusp of replacing world champion Nico Rosberg at the works team, Kolner Express newspaper suggested 17-year-old Schumacher is next in line.

The son of F1 legend and seven time world champion Michael, young Schumacher is poised to move into the European F3 series in 2017, which was the springboard for Max Verstappen's meteoric early formula one career.

Express has published a photo showing Mick wearing a Mercedes F1 team jacket during an end of year celebration event in Sindelfingen, Germany, near Stuttgart.

"It will soon be official, but no one wants to confirm it yet," the tabloid report said.