‘Very similar’: Ferrari chief sees shades of father in Mick Schumacher

The 20-year-old son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher got his first full experience of driving an F1 car during testing in Bahrain earlier this month.

Mick followed in the footsteps of his legendary father in getting behind the wheel of a Ferrari, completing 56 laps on an emotional occasion for his watching mother Corinna.

Michael has not been seen in public since suffering a severe head injury while skiing in December 2013.

“The first time I saw him (Mick) after many years when he came back, I looked at him and don’t think he really looked similar to Michael,” said Ferrari’s Mattia Binotto.

“But the way he’s behaving is very similar — the approach, the way he’s interested in the car, discussing conditions.

“He was always looking at the car, speaking to the mechanics. That’s very similar to his father.”

Speaking in Shanghai ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Binotto was keen not to lumber Mick with even higher expectations, with interest already intense interest in the youngster.

“The objective was not really to assess the performance in the very first day in an F1 car,” said Binotto.

“More important for him is the learning phase. Day by day he is advancing a completely new challenge in his F2 season.”

Following his European Formula 3 title last year, Mick made his Formula 2 debut in Bahrain, finishing eighth and sixth in the two races.

He joined the Ferrari Driver Academy in January, entering into a partnership with the team that helped his father win five F1 championships.