Schumacher responds to Ticktum tirade

Mick Schumacher refused to be drawn on an astonishing outburst from European Formula 3 title rival Dan Ticktum after he moved to within touching distance of the title in Austria this weekend. Red Bull junior driver Ticktum raised eyebrows by saying he had been "robbed" in the title fight.

Ticktum said it was "interesting" that Schumacher's Prema team had found such good form in the latter part of the season, with the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher having won eight of the last 13 races to surge from the midfield to leading the standings by 49 points.

Schumacher Jr's run included five straight wins, whitewashing the Nurburgring meeting and winning the first two races at the Red Bull Ring last weekend before team-mate Rob Shwartzman beat him into second to end the streak.

The sudden upturn in form has seen Schumacher linked to the Toro Rosso seat that Ticktum was reportedly lined up for – despite his lack of superlicence points – with the German already eligible to secure an F1 seat.

Having lost grip on his championship lead, and perhaps his F1 chance for 2019, Ticktum wrote on Instagram: "I am fighting a losing battle as my last name is not Schumacher."

However, the German refused to enter a war of words with his rival, ahead of a three-race season-closer at Hockenheim in three weeks' time.

Schumacher is quoted by Speedweek: "I do not listen to something like that. The car is terrific to drive. We've evolved as a team, while others may have stopped at one point.

"I wish him good luck that he stays in the title fight. But I focus on myself, that's my key.

"Everyone evolves during the year. We never stop working and learning. After my win at Spa it was not easy, but we managed to be consistent, especially in qualifying, with good lap times."

Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene said that the "door at Maranello will always be open" for Schumacher and the teenager is delighted to have caught the attention of the F1 world.

"That's very positive. It's nice to see that my performance has come. When it's a team like Ferrari, it's very nice. But also to be generally in the thoughts of Formula 1, is positive."