Bernie Ecclestone gives verdict on Mick Schumacher joining Ferrari or Mercedes. Ecclestone is backing the 19-year-old to take to the grid at the top level soon.

British business magnate and former chief executive of the Formula One Group Bernie Ecclestone can see Mick Schumacher racing for Ferrari or Mercedes one day. Schumacher is one of the hottest prospects in the world of motor sport having recently won the Formula 3 title.

And he has been tipped to follow in the footsteps of his father Michael, who won seven F1 World Drivers’ Championships, as Toro Rosso has been touted as a potential destination for Schumacher ahead of the 2019 campaign.

And Bernie Ecclestone is backing the 19-year-old to take to the grid at the top level soon: “He is doing a fantastic job,” Ecclestone told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag – “Mick is well on the way to Formula One.” Asked if Schumacher could drive for F1 pacesetters Ferrari or Mercedes in the future, Ecclestone sounded optimistic: “Why not?” added the Brit, who helped transfer F1 into the phenomenon it is today.”

Schumacher’s on-track achievements have come while his father has dealt with the debilitating effects of a 2013 skiing accident and the former chief executive of the Formula One Group admitted it is a shame Michael cannot be with Mick as he sets the racing world alight: “It’s just too bad that his father can not support him,” Ecclestone said.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, meanwhile, has revealed how impressed he has been by Schumacher’s performances in Formula 3: “Attention was focused on the youngster right from the start, and he was under a lot of pressure,” Wolff said – “It’s not easy coping with all that, especially if the season does not get off to the best of starts, as in this case. His performance in the second half of the season was therefore all the more impressive. He has shown that he has what it takes and that he can become one of the greats in our sport.”

Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene has previously suggested his team would take note if Schumacher was available: “We will see about the future,” Maurizio Arrivabene said in September – “How can you say no, in Maranello, to a name like this?”