Mick Schumacher has made no secret of his need to make a Method 1 return following his two-year tenure with Haas, and the brand new Cadillac crew seemed to be a significant alternative for the German.
Cadillac boss Graeme Lowdon confirmed in July that the American outfit had been in talks with Schumacher for a possible 2026 contract, earlier than signing Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas for its race seats, together with Colton Herta in a take a look at position.
With no clear path again to F1, Schumacher moved on from his Alpine World Endurance Championship stint to signal for IndyCar’s Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for 2026.
The F3 and F2 champion has now defined how superior the conversations with Cadillac had been and stated it was “powerful” for him ultimately, though he understood the crew’s determination.
“I feel that the entire state of affairs has been a troublesome one in some methods, but in addition I feel understandably they went in a unique path,” stated Schumacher in a press convention confirming his IndyCar transfer.
“The data that I had just about till the tip was that we’d been in rivalry for that seat, after which they went a unique path, which is honest sufficient, and it simply led to me having to grasp, okay, what do I would like? Do I wish to try to preserve getting again onto the F1 grid or do I wish to do racing that I get pleasure from?
“That’s clearly single-seaters, and yeah, fortunately the chance got here up with a crew, and I’m tremendous glad and tremendous pleased to be right here the place I’m now.”
Mick Schumacher, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Regardless of being out of F1 since dropping his Haas seat on the finish of 2022 and now leaving the European racing scene altogether, Schumacher doesn’t consider his transfer to IndyCar marks the tip of his F1 ambitions.
“I feel that in any case, clearly the world of F1 is a really particular one and a particular one, however clearly it’s nonetheless a single-seater [in IndyCar],” added the 26-year-old.
“I feel there have been loads of nice drivers, and quite a few ones have additionally settled into affiliations with different F1 groups for good cause, so I don’t see why the transfer to IndyCar would shut that door, no.”
Nonetheless, Schumacher claims he’s now “100% dedicated” to IndyCar and detailed what would represent a profitable rookie season for him driving the #47 Honda for RLL.
“I feel that clearly every thing shall be just about new to me,” he stated. “Lots of the race tracks are new, oval racing shall be new, so there are numerous issues that I nonetheless have to grasp, to be taught.
“Clearly, I’ve nice team-mates alongside me – one with numerous expertise and one who has simply had recent expertise. I feel I’ve mixture there of tips to go off.
“What could be a hit? I feel finally simply the sensation that we’ve been in a position to put every thing in place and that we set ourselves, let’s say, a goal. What that concentrate on precisely shall be, I feel that’s one thing we’ll have to determine as we go and match our expectations to what we are able to obtain.
“However I’m very optimistic. I feel there are many good issues on the market and many good issues taking place in the meanwhile, so I don’t wish to say, ‘okay, that is the goal proper now’, however positively our intention is to do our greatest, and that shall be found out alongside the way in which.”
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