Schumacher can handle hype of debut F1 test

Mick Schumacher says he can deal with all the hype surrounding his meteoric rise to formula one.

Ferrari and Alfa Romeo have now confirmed reports that the 20-year-old son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher will test for both teams on consecutive days in Bahrain next week.

Schumacher said he can handle all the hype.

"It’s just the way it has always been," he told Kolner Express.

"If you take someone who is not used to it and put him in my position, maybe it would be different. I had the time to grow in there. That helped me a lot."

But the young German’s uncle, former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, said he would like Schumacher’s rise to the pinnacle of motor sport to be quieter.

"It should be a little bit more relaxed for him and first let him develop," the former Williams and Toyota driver told DPA news agency.

Ralf wished his nephew well for his Formula 2 debut in Bahrain this weekend.

"He proved his potential with the Formula 3 championship, but in Formula 2 everything starts from scratch," he said.

Indeed, the pressure on young Schumacher is high.

"If he performs well this season there is a chance for him to be in F1 in 2020," said Dutch former F1 test driver Bas Leinders.

"He’s clearly good, and he can develop in the best circumstances, through his name and the budget that comes with it," he told the Sporza news agency.

"But I don’t think Mick Schumacher is as good as Stoffel Vandoorne, even if he will get more opportunities and more resources," Belgian Leinders added.