Poor weather conditions threw a spanner in the works for the Formula 1 debut of Mick Schumacher and Callum Ilott during the weekend of the Eifel GP. However, according to Ferrari’s sports director Laurent Mekies, it is only a matter of time before the two can drive a Formula 1 car.
It was to be the weekend of the great debut of Mick Schumacher in the royal class of motorsport. During the GP of Eifel the son of Michael Schumacher would do the first free practice for Alfa Romeo. In addition, Callum Ilott, another driver from the Ferrari Young Driver Programme, was also allowed to make his wait during FP1. The 21-year-old Briton would be able to show his skills at the Haas team. Until the weather conditions made sure that there would be no driving at all on the Friday.
“The academy has done a good job”
Schumacher and Ilott cried after Friday, but also knew there was little they could do about it. Laurent Mekies, sports director of Ferrari, felt proud when he saw how his youngsters were ready to start training. “The academy has done a very good job this year. Everyone is doing their best to be competitive in the highly competitive environments that are F1 and F2. The boys have already shown last year that they can dominate F3,” he says in a podcast from F1 Nation.
“We trust these guys are on the right track. That they are doing well also gives us the energy to continue with the programme. Now we are at the point where these guys are getting close to the level of Formula 1. It was an emotional moment to see them in the Formula 1 car. Now it will give us a headache to choose who we continue with, but that’s a good headache to have”, Mekies concludes.
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