Mick Schumacher reckons his dad Michael has had a huge influence to his motor racing career so far as he competes in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship.

Following on his dad’s footsteps, Mick is gearing up to compete in Formula 1 in the coming years to bring back the ‘Schumacher’ name in the paddock after it last echoed in the 2012 season when Michael raced for Mercedes.

Schumacher Jr regards the influence from his dad as a big motivation in his racing career so far. “He [Michael] had a huge influence,” he said to BBC 5Live. “He’s my idol and I am following everything he did and trying to look at something I could use myself.

“He had a huge role in how I am driving now. So, I am really happy about that.” His journey in European F3 has been rather modest but in the last three weekends, he has claimed three wins and two poles to finally be able to challenge the front-runners.

He finished 11th last year overall and was the third best rookie. It was a slow start again this year for the German but he has picked up well to be fourth in the standings with 186 points – the second Prema driver in the Top 4.

He is yet to win a single-seater title but came close to take victory in the Italian F4 and German F4 in the 2016 season when he finished second, while he was third in the Indian winter series MRF Challenge in 2016/17.

His aim is certainly to get into F1 but the youngster is taking one step at a time with Formula 2 his next target – presumably in 2019. Meanwhile, last year he had the chance to drive his dad’s 1994 title-winning Benetton car at Spa-Francorchamps.

The German recalled the emotional yet funny moment that the car has now been driven by two generations. “For everybody there was a lot emotion to see the 1994 car again after so long. It was just a shame that it was so short. I would have liked to do a few more laps.

“I tried to push it, the parts that were flat, I did flat. So now the car’s been driven by two generations. That’s quite funny,” he said. Considering his father’s legacy, Schumacher in fact is happy that he is not recognised widely so far on the road.

“I am still happy with that [less recognition]. I am free, if I go to the city where nobody knows that who I am. I guess therefore, we have done a good job in everything and keeping that private life really private,” he said.