On October 13, 2018, following the penultimate race at Hockenheim, Mick Schumacher was crowned F3 (Formula Three) Champion and in doing so, qualified for an FIA F1 Super Licence.
Should the German take up the option of competing at the sport's elite level, he will be the third member of his family, behind father Michael and uncle Ralf, to take his place on the Formula One grid.
His father remains the most successful driver in F1 history, with 91 race wins and seven world titles to his name.
Mick is not the first motorsport driver to follow in his father's footsteps.
Current F1 driver Max Verstappen is the son of former Formula One driver Jos and former World Champions Nico Rosberg and Damon Hill both had F1 championship-winning fathers. In fact, there have more than a dozen F1 father and son pairings.
They are part of a long line of father and son duos who have excelled in their respective sports. Here are just of a few examples of the most successful pairings.
Peter and Kasper Schmeichel
Former professional footballer Peter Schmeichel is considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
After beginning his career in his home country of Denmark, where he won four league titles (including the revamped Superliga) and a Danish Cup with Brondby, he made the £505,000 switch to Manchester United.
There he won five league titles, three FA Cups, a League Cup, a Champions League and a European Super Cup. He was captain of the club when they secured a historic Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble in 1998/99.
At international level, Schmeichel made 129 appearances for his country and was a crucial part of the team that lifted the 1992 European Championships.
Son Kasper followed in his father’s footsteps, joining Manchester City as a goalkeeper at the age of 16.
A series of loan spells followed before he signed for Notts County (2009) and then Leeds United (2010). During this period, Schmeichel had a reputation for being a solid but unremarkable keeper.
The turning point in his career came when he was sold to Leicester City in 2011. He has remained with the club ever since winning the Football League Championship in 2013/14 and the Premier League in 2015/16.
The Foxes' top-flight title triumph under Italian boss Claudio Ranieri is widely considered one of the biggest upsets in sporting history.
Archie and Peyton Manning
While some sons can never hope to eclipse their father’s achievements, others exceed them with aplomb.
One such example is Peyton Manning, whose father Archie was a respected American football player who represented New Orleans Saints during the 1970s and 80s.
The Saints were not a great side and Archie never made the playoffs, but he fathered three sons, two of whom also made it to the NFL.
While second son Eli deserves credit for his own achievements, which included two Super Bowl wins, two Superbowl MVPs and several other individual awards, it was Peyton who rose to become one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
His list of NFL achievements, racked up during spells with Indianapolis Colts (1998–2011) and Denver Broncos (2012–2015), is remarkable.
Like his brother, he also won two Super Bowls, but that barely tells the story of a career that saw him pick up more than 50 awards and honours.
And, he still holds the record for most passing yards in a season (5,477), most passing touchdowns in a career (539), most passing touchdowns in a season (55) and most touchdown passes in a game (tied on 7).
When he retired in 2015, he was widely regarded as the best quarterback in NFL history.
Joe and Kobe Bryant
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant played professional basketball between 1975 and 1992. He spent eight years as an NBA player representing Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets.
He then spent seven seasons in Italy where he played for AMG Sebastiani Rieti (1984–86), Viola Reggio Calabria (1986–87), Pistoia (1987–89) and Reggio Emilia (1989–91). He took his first coaching position in 1993 and has been coaching ever since.
Son Kobe became a household name thanks to his five championship wins earned over a 20-year career with the LA Lakers.
Bryant is a two-time NBA finals MVP, 18-time NBA All-Star, 15-time All-NBA team member, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He is also a double Olympic gold medallist.
After spending much of his youth in Italy where his father played professionally for seven years, Bryant Jnr learned to speak fluent Italian and grew up supporting AC Milan. However, he spent much of his time in the US playing basketball in the summer leagues.
Bryant has appeared on the cover of several video games and has even released his own music singles. His endorsements and wages have made him one of the richest sportsmen of all time.
Forbes estimated his career earnings to be in the region of $770m making him the second-highest NBA earner behind Michael Jordan and the sixth-highest-earning sportsman in history.
Ken Norton Sr. and Ken Norton Jr.
Father and son sports pairings do not always follow the same path. In the case of the Norton family, Ken Norton Sr. made his name in boxing while Ken Jr.’s sport of choice was American football.
Boxer Ken Norton turned professional in 1967 and went on to compete in 50 fights winning 42. He is best remembered for his three fights with Muhammad Ali, of which he won the first but lost the next two.
When Leon Spinks ignored the WBC’s order allow Norton to contend his world title, choosing instead to fight Ali, the governing body retroactively gave title fight status to Norton's win over Jimmy Young the year before.
He lost his world title a year later after a 15-round slugfest against Larry Holmes ranked as one of the greatest heavyweight fights of all time. Following his retirement in 1981, Norton was inducted into the boxing hall of fame and turned his hand to acting.
Norton’s son Ken may have shared his father’s name, but he did not share his enthusiasm for boxing. Instead, he found fame in the NFL after being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1988.
The linebacker won two Super Bowls during his five years in Texas and another following his move to the San Francisco 49ers in 1994. He remained at the Californian team until 2000.
Following his retirement, he became a radio and television commentator and started coaching at High School level. He has since worked as a linebacker coach and defensive coordinator for Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
