Mick Schumacher says only time will tell when he'll step up to Formula 1, but the young German driver insists he's clearly preparing for his future graduation to the big time.
Schumacher - a member of Ferrari's Driver Academy - clinched his first Formula 2 win in Hungary recently, achieving a lights-to-flag triumph in the reverse-grid round and never yielding to the pressure of rival Nobu Matsushita.
The victory was a welcome addition to the 20-year-old's credentials, but more results will be required to send him on the path followed by his famous father, seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.
"I think only time can tell," Schumacher said, referring to his expected promotion.
"Obviously having the first victory in F2 is a great thing. I still need to work a lot on myself. Whether I go to F1 next year or in two years or three years, I don’t know.
"Only time can tell that. I will do my best possible to try to learn as much as possible so that when I do make the step, I am ready and comfortable."
After breaking his duck in F2, Schumacher will approach the final rounds of the junior series determined to capitalize on his Hungarian success, armed with a boosted sense of confidence.
"I think it’s true that in a way, the first one is the hardest, but obviously it’s also once you get that win, it gives you a lot of confidence," he added.
"It gives you a lot of confidence to go into the next round, especially getting towards the end of the season now.
"It’s good that we have done it in a way. That is also I think not easy, because we had a lot of pressure, not only from Nobu (Matsushita) but throughout the whole season.
“We had some very strong performances, but not enough points for what we had.
"I think I refer back to Red Bull Ring or Silverstone where the pace was great, but in many ways we didn’t manage to really exploit it.
"In general, I’m really happy that we managed to get that win, but mostly also getting those points in."
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