Mick Schumacher gives IndyCar contract clarity as he searches for a new “home” after F1

Mick Schumacher has given clarity on how long he intends to race in IndyCar, having joined Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for the 2026 season. The German racer will return to open-wheel racing, his first love, after over three years away since leaving F1 at the end of 2022. Ad His F1 debut was memorable because the initials ‘MSC’ returned to the timesheets for the first time in over a decade, since his father Michael Schumacher’s retirement in 2012. However, Mick Schumacher’s time at Haas wasn’t all flowery. After 43 F1 race starts, including a career-best P6 finish, he was let go from the American team. Schumacher’s time with Alpine in the World Endurance Championship in 2024 and 2025 was more rewarding, with three podiums in two seasons. However, his heart longed for a return to open-wheel racing, which IndyCar will fulfil in 2026, with him joining RLL on a one-year contract. Ad Trending In an interview on the Marshall Pruett podcast on YouTube, the No. 47 RLL driver was asked if he envisioned a future in IndyCar past 2026. “I wouldn’t say no to it,” the 26-year-old replied. “Obviously, I haven’t done the first race, or I haven’t done any sort of race yet. I’ve just done one test so far, so I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think this was something that I want to do long-term. So I will start the season, see how it feels, and I’m sure if I feel the same way I feel right now, this definitely can be a home for a while.” Ad For Mick Schumacher, IndyCar was the next best thing after F1. He hopes it facilitates his dream of racing in a premier open-wheel racing series and proving his worth. “As a driver, I think you always want to compete in the best championship possible. In my case, obviously, F1 wasn’t possible, and I felt that IndyCar was the best thing where I could show my potential and do well, potentially. I’m just happy to be in this place now,” the German added. Ad IndyCar reminds Mick Schumacher of the “good old karting days” Mick Schumacher’s first experience of IndyCar with RLL at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course turned out to be exactly what both parties expected from the other. The feedback he received from a couple of other experienced IndyCar drivers about the wheel-to-wheel racing that the series offers also hit the right note. Ad IndyCar racing tends to be more competitive than F1, with ten times the overtakes across a full season. “Yeah, I think it (IndyCar) reminds me a little bit of good old karting days,” Schumacher said in a press conference on Tuesday. “I think pretty similar to how WEC racing was. There’s a lot of side-by-side and maybe a little touch here and there. From what I understand, the cars are pretty robust, as well, when it comes to side-by-side action, and I’ve talked to a couple other drivers, and they really enjoy the racing side of things.” Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has an extensive testing schedule planned for Mick Schumacher, with four oval tests, two road course tests, and a street course test before the first race of the 2026 season in St. Petersburg on March 1. × Feedback Why did you not like this content? Clickbait / Misleading Factually Incorrect Hateful or Abusive Baseless Opinion Too Many Ads Other Was this article helpful? Thank You for feedback Stay updated with the 2025 IndyCar schedule, standings, qualifying, results today, series news, and the latest IndyCar racing news all in one place. Edited by Yash Kotak.
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