Gerhard Berger is hoping his nephew may have a future in formula one.
One the one hand, the F1 legend said he is sad to see Lucas Auer leave DTM, the German touring car series that he now runs.
"But I see it with the eyes of an uncle," Berger told Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper. "He has to use this opportunity in formula sport."
Berger, the former McLaren and Ferrari driver, is referring to the fact that Auer has been signed up by Red Bull's junior programme and will race in Japan's highly respected Super Formula series next year.
At 24, Auer is unusually old for the Red Bull programme but Dr Helmut Marko said "We wanted to keep his career going".
Indeed, Toro Rosso may even have been an option for Auer in 2019.
"There would have been a good chance for Lucas in formula one," said Berger. "Unfortunately he did not have the necessary points for the super license."
