Mick Schumacher: Never a problem to be compared to my father

Mick Schumacher would have had a ton of pressure on him at an early stage - considering his father, Michael Schumacher's prestigious Formula 1 career - but the 19-year-old has revealed that the comparisons have never been a problem during his career.

Schumacher is the reigning Formula 3 champion and is starting a spell in Formula 2 this season, following last season's heroic efforts from the youngster.

With his family name being one of the most famous in motorsport, there were obviously going to be comparisons drew between Mick and his father, Michael - a seven-time world champion in F1.

But Schumacher has insisted it has "never been a problem" to be compared to his dad - actually, it's more of an "honour".

"Being compared to my father was never a problem for me," Schumacher said in a Prema (his F2 team) video previewing the upcoming season. "It's pretty simple, for me, being compared to the best driver in F1 history is the goal you want to achieve.

"To have that as my idol, as my father, is something very special. I feel honoured to be compared to him, because I can just learn and try to improve."

The 19-year-old joined the Ferrari Driver Academy last summer at the end of 2018, with an inevitable future in F1 surely on its way, but he is fully focused on his next challenge driving with Prema for the 2019 season.

"The step itself isn't that huge (from F3), it's more understanding the tyre at 100 per cent and I think that will be the most difficult part," he added. "We have a lot more downforce and a lot more speed, so we have to work the car a lot more. It's a good challenge.

"I can learn so much from Ferrari because they have so much experience, and I want to achieve the maximum I can. The first impressions were so heart-opening in welcoming me into the family, which was always a part of my family. The combination of both was very positive and I'm very happy.

"I feel 110 per cent ready and there's no pressure. My goal for this year is to learn as much as possible and gather all the information around me and work from as many people as I can."