Michael Schumacher’s son “has a lot to learn” after finishing 12th in maiden F3 season

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Mick Schumacher has made an unspectacular start to his racing career

Mick Schumacher, 18, finished a distant 12th place in his rookie year on 94 points, well behind eventual champion, 17-year-old Briton Lando Norris.

His indifferent year featured a single podium finish, coming third at Monza in April. 

But bosses in is Team Prema camp were satisfied with the young protege’s performances overall. 

Team leader Rene Rosin told BILD: “The season had ups and downs. 

“It was a year to learn for him. He showed his great qualities, especially during the races, but he still has to show them during qualifying.”

A persistent problem in the young Schumacher’s season was his inability to convert opportunities during qualifying into good starting positions. 

Roisin said: “Of course once or twice a better result would have been possible, but he’s also had some bad luck.

“Maybe the podium in Monza was premature. 

“We have to take all the positives from the season with us, and there was a lot of it, and take that as a basis for preparing for the new season. We must go further than before, don’t need to change anything. “

“But as I said, he was a rookie and is here to learn and no one is disappointed. On the contrary. I am happy.” 

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Schumacher Jnr said he was pleased with his first season and still aims to one day race in Formula 1

In winning the Formula 3 championship, Lando Norris emulated three-time F1 Lewis Hamilton, who clinched the same title in 2005.

Asked how Schumacher Jnr compared to Norris, a fellow rookie, Rosin said: “We know that Lando is not a normal newcomer.” 

He also pointed out that Norris had a distinct advantage in that he drove nine races last year, the maximum number allowed in order to still compete as a rookie the following season. 

Schumacher, by contrast, raced in the Italian and German Formula 4 in 2016. 

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Michael Schumacher won seven F1 world titles in an illustrious career

Asked if Schumacher was under pressure to do better next season, Rosin replied: “It’s not about pressure. 

“I also do not want to set goals. We want to do our very best race after race. We may have expected a bit more. But as I said, he was meant to learn and he still needs to learn a lot.”

Schumacher himself said he was pleased with his season and reiterated his goal of one day racing in Formula One. 

“I am concentrating on myself and I do not look at the other drivers,” he told SID.

“Everyone progresses at their own pace, it’s not comparable.

“I attacked my first F3 season with the aim to learn as much as possible.

“This is what happened this year, and I’m really pleased. I try to improve myself in all areas.”

Mick Schumacher was skiing with his famous father Michael in the French Alps when the seven-time F1 champion fell and hit a rock in December 2013. 

He suffered blood clots on the brain and was placed in a medically induced coma.

Doctors described his condition as “extremely serious” and said he would most certainly have died if he was not wearing a helmet. 

Schumacher’s family has fiercely guarded his privacy since the accident and have provided few updates as to his condition. 

No updates were released until April 2015, when it was announced the racing legend had shown “moments of consciousness and awakening”.

Earlier this month his manager Sabine Kehm announced details of the proposed Michael Schumacher Museum, in a statement his hopeful fans have latched onto as an indication his condition was improving. 

“During all his active year Michael kept most of his cars and many overalls and helmets,” the statement said. 

“At the back of our minds we had always planned to make them available to the public.”

German online magazine In Touch said the use of the word “we” gave hope Schumacher was having some involvement in the decision-making process.