Ferrari: F1 seat in 2021 for Schumacher dependent on progress

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Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says Mick Schumacher's promotion to F1 will depend on the young German's progress this year in the FIA Formula 2 championship.

Binotto praised Schumacher's double P3 finish in Hungary last weekend but insisted that it was early days still before making a call on the F1 future of the most famous member of Ferrari's Driver Academy.

"I think that Mick is certainly doing well, and he is doing a lot better than last year," said Binotto.

"It was important for him in his second year of F2 and he is showing progress. I think that he is showing progress as well since the start of the season.

"He had some bad luck situations but if you look at his results in Hungary, he did well. So Mick is progressing which is important."

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Schumacher's target for 2021 is a seat at Alfa Romeo or perhaps Haas, the two teams affiliated with Ferrari.

But Binotto makes clear that a promotion will come at the time and place decided by the House of Maranello.

"Next year I think it is really too early to decide," added Binotto. "We are really clear and fair with him: his overall performance in the championship will be important.

"So he will be in an F1 seat at the time that we believe he has done sufficient progress overall. Also he needs simply to continue as he is doing now, and we will decide later on in the season."

In the interim, the 21-year-old is seeking this season to improve his skills but also to enhance his qualities as an individual.

"My main target is to improve myself as a racing driver to become the complete racing driver I am chasing," Schumacher said, quoted by Motorsport.com.

"I want to improve on the human side, to become let's say more grown up, to become more mature and to bond with the team in a way which no other driver can."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.