Bernie Ecclestone: This is why I want Schumacher back in F1
BERNIE ECCLESTONE believes it is important for the future of F1 to have a Schumacher involved in the sport.
Bernie Ecclestone believes Mick Schumacher's arrival in F1 would be beneficial
Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public since suffering a serious head injury in December 2013 and spending six months in a coma.
He is currently rehabilitating at home but in his heyday the German was near-unbeatable in an F1 car.
The 48-year-old won his first World Drivers' Championship with Benetton in 1994 and went on to win six, including five consecutive titles for Ferrari between 2000 and 2004.
Michael Schumacher won his first world title at the age of 25 - he went on to win seven
Mick Schumacher has impressed in Formula 3 and has been tipped to follow in his father's footsteps
His surname became synonymous with the sport and now his son is well on the way to following in his footsteps.
Mick Schumacher finished second in both the ADAC and Italian Formula 4 championships last year and will drive for Prema Powerteam in Formula 3 this season.
The competition is a tradition precursor to a career in motorsport's top echelons - last year's champion Lance Stroll will drive for Williams in 2017 - and F1 chief Ecclestone has admitted it would great to have the name back on the grid.
"2017 will certainly be a challenge, but the tests in the past few weeks have shown that the car is great fun to drive.
"This is the category that all the big names have come through.
"From the point of view of professionalism, it's a bit closer to F1 and a bit more difficult."