Mick Schumacher will take his first steps into IndyCar subsequent month, with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing asserting that the German driver will take part in a non-public take a look at on the Indianapolis highway course on 13 October.
The 26-year-old, who at present competes within the World Endurance Championship with Alpine, will pattern an IndyCar as he explores future alternatives in North America’s premier open-wheel collection.
Schumacher, the son of seven-time System 1 world champion Michael Schumacher, made 43 F1 begins between 2021 and 2022 with the Haas F1 Crew.
He was additionally current at this yr’s Indianapolis 500 in Could to start out making connections inside the IndyCar paddock.
Though he has been racing sportscars in current seasons, Schumacher has stayed linked to single-seaters via his function as Mercedes F1 reserve driver, a place he held throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons, collaborating in a number of assessments.
The announcement about Schumacher’s IndyCar take a look at follows intense hypothesis over his future with Alpine within the WEC. Whereas he initially appeared prime to hitch the Jota-run Cadillac squad subsequent yr, he’s now being linked to a transfer to McLaren, which can be a part of the Hypercar ranks with an LMDh automotive in 2027.
The upcoming outing at Indianapolis will mark his first expertise behind the wheel of an IndyCar, giving him the possibility to know the collection’ technical traits and bodily calls for.
#36 Alpine Endurance Crew Alpine A424: Mick Schumacher
Picture by: Andreas Beil
“I’m very a lot trying ahead to driving my first IndyCar take a look at,” Schumacher mentioned. “An enormous thanks to the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing staff for giving me this chance. The identical goes for driving this automotive at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the primary time, a race monitor with a giant historical past and one which my dad has pushed on earlier than. I’m excited to see which particular options it holds.
“I’m very curious to know the traits of this race automotive, which is totally different from the vehicles I’m used to driving, but comparable. I stay very excited by gaining expertise within the various world of motorsport. It’s no secret that I’m a giant fan of single-seater racing, so this primary IndyCar take a look at might be an expertise to treasure, and I’m very a lot trying ahead to driving a automotive the place I can see my wheels.”
The take a look at will happen on the identical structure used for the Indianapolis highway course race, the place RLL drivers Graham Rahal, Louis Foster and Devlin DeFrancesco certified second, third and fifth respectively earlier this yr.
Rahal led 49 of the 85 laps earlier than ending sixth, in what was the staff’s strongest weekend of the 2025 season.
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RLL co-owner Bobby Rahal, a three-time IndyCar champion and 1986 Indy 500 winner, expressed his pleasure about welcoming Schumacher to the staff: “I’ve adopted Mick’s profession from afar in addition to that of his father, so the considered seeing him in considered one of our race vehicles may be very thrilling.
“I feel it’s going to be a terrific day for RLL and likewise for Mick, as he will get his first expertise in an Indy automotive. Clearly, he’s bought a substantial amount of expertise, and realizing that we’ve had fairly good setups for the IMS highway course, it ought to give him a very good baseline to start out from.”
Jay Frye, president of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, added: “That is a tremendous alternative for RLL to check an elite expertise like Mick and convey two legendary motorsport households collectively.”
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