Things are extremely close and shaping up to be very exciting in the ADAC Formula 4 this year as two of the rookies go head-to-head in their bid for the title. David Schumacher and Niklas Krütten are the two top contenders. 15-year-old Krütten from Trier in north-west Germany drives for Team ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. and is currently ahead on points, but Schumacher (16), son of ex-Formula 1 and DTM driver Ralf Schumacher, is hanging on in there right behind his rival, refusing to let go.

Their battle is set to continue when the High-Speed Academy holds its races within the context of the German Formula 1 race at Hockenheim on the weekend of 20th - 22nd July. SPORT1 will broadcast both ADAC Formula 4 races on TV and live streams will also be available at www.adac.de/motorsport and www.sport1.de.

"I'm getting really excited already. There's going to be loads of spectators watching us, and plenty of fans. I'm looking forward to it," says Niklas Krütten, who is currently 13 points up on David Schumacher in the Rookie classification. Krütten has fond memories of Hockenheim as he returns to the venue where he has already achieved some good results in the past, including a second-place finish when the ADAC High-Speed Academy raced alongside the DTM at the Ring back in May.

Krütten's big idols are Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo. He will get close to them this weekend, and so, is well aware that he can't rest on his laurels. "I know that I was pretty good at Hockenheim and still am," he said. "The track suits me, but I like to tackle every weekend afresh."

16-year-old Schumacher has a similar approach. He drives for Team US Racing CHRS, managed by his father and Gerhard Ungar and soon noticed in his very first year that "Nothing's for free in the ADAC Formula 4. The competition is mega. You can't sit on your hands if you want to achieve success."

Schumacher and Krütten both dream of lifting the Rookie title and of a future in professional motorsport, but the other rookies this year are also very quick and always good for a surprise or two.

"The Rookie title would mean a great deal to me, because our team works incredibly hard. We drivers at Mücke are all rookies, and so, have a lot of things to sort out for ourselves," said Krütten: "David has an advantage in that respect, because he races for US Racing CHRS with Lirim Zendeli (the championship leader) and Mick Wishofer (2017 Rookie champion). The two of them can obviously give him lots of tips."

Schumacher, however, is focused on himself, as he is aware that good advice alone will not win him the title. "Obviously, it can be very advantageous to have team-mates, who can give you tips, but ultimately, we all drive our own race and want to be fast. We all get the very best support from our team to help with that. They work extremely hard for all of us four drivers." But there's no mention from David of the hype that surrounds him - after all, his father, Ralf, took part in 180 Formula 1 races and his uncle, Michael Schumacher, is the most successful driver in history.

He has been well aware of the enormous interest in him ever since his first kart race but doesn't want to put any pressure on himself. He intends to continue to do his thing in his own way without being put off. "I take things one step at a time," says Schumacher Junior: "I've learned a great deal so far, which should help me enormously in the future and with the races to come."

A win has still managed to elude the pair of them in what has been a thoroughly successful season to date. "My big ambition is to win a race. Maybe I can pull it off this weekend at Hockenheim where there will be plenty of people watching," says Krütten. But his rival, Schumacher, might have a thing or two to say about that!