Mercedes to keep an eye on Mick Schumacher

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has hinted that the marque will be keeping a close eye on young Mick Schumacher.

The son of seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher will step up to European Formula Three this year after spending two seasons racing in Formula Four which culminated in second placed finishes in both the German and Italian championships this year.

"Mick is a great lad and an excellent driver," Wolff told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta Dello Sport. "The right thing for him this year is to focus on F3."

"If you do well in this series, many teams will take notice and Mercedes will be among these too," he admitted.

Michael Schumacher enjoyed spells with Mercedes that bookended his F1 career.

He joined the German marque for an assault on the World Sportscar Championship in 1990, before they funded his F1 début with Jordan a year later.

After three years in retirement, Schumacher returned to F1 in 2010 with a resurrected Mercedes team. He spent three years with the team, claiming one podium finish.