Schumacher's son in Formula 4

Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher, will appear in Formula 4 from April with Van Amersfoort Racing, the Dutch team has announced.

The 15-year-old will make his first appearance in a Formula 4 race at Oschersleben in northern Germany on April 25 and 26, as his father continues to recover at the family home in Gmünd in Switzerland following a skiing accidentt in December 2013.

Van Amersfoort Racing boss Fritz van Amersfoort told the team's website that Schumacher junior had spent a full day in the simulator at the team's headquarters in the Netherlands.

"We then witnessed him during a test session at Valencia and eventually, we reached an agreement to compete together in this year's ADAC Formula 4 series," van Amersfoort said.

Formula 4 was created last year as a championship for young drivers hoping to eventually take the step up to Formula One. Last season Schumacher came second in the World, European and German kart championships while driving as "Mick Junior" to protect his privacy.

The Schumacher family's spokeswoman, Sabine Kehm, confirmed that Mick would be quitting karting to focus on the single-seat category.

Schumacher senior suffered severe head injuries and was put in a coma after faling 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) and hitting his head on rocks while skiing off-piste in Meribel, France. The 46-year-old spent nine months in hospital in Lausanne before being placed under care at his home.

apc/al (AFP, AP)