Mick Schumacher, the Formula One-bound son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, clinched the Formula Two drivers’ championship title on Sunday.
Despite finishing 18th in the final race of the season at the Bahrain International Circuit, ahead of Sunday’s later Sakhir Grand Prix, he took the title by 14 points ahead of nearest rival Briton Callum Ilott, who finished 10th.
Jehan Daruvala won the race, taking his first F2 victory after Schumacher had flat-spotted a tyre on the first lap in his Prema car.
Schumacher was third on the grid alongside Ilott and took second at the start, but fell back and after a pit-stop for new tyres had to rely on others finishing ahead of the Briton.
Ilott, who needed to finish second to retain a title bid, fell down the order and finished 10th.
Schumacher ended the season on 215 points and Ilott on 201.
Nikita Mazepin, his future team-mate at the Haas F1 team next year, finished fifth in the title race.
Schumacher said it was going to take time to sink in that he had won the title.
“I don’t really understand I am champion yet.
“It would sound a lot better if we did a good race today. Nevertheless, we are champions and people will forget this race and remember the good times this year.”
On Wednesday Schumacher said his childhood dream had come true with the announcement that he would follow his father into F1.
“I’m happy it’s been decided — I have been chasing this dream since I was three years old.”
Schumacher and Mazepin replace Haas’s current driver pairing of Romain Grosjean — who escaped a fiery crash in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix – and Kevin Magnussen.
Schumacher has shone in Formula Two this season after achieving 10 podium finishes and feature-race victories at Monza and Sochi.
He will get a taste of what is needed at the elite level when he takes part in Haas’ free practice ahead of the 2020 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 11 before participating in testing a few days later.
