Mick Schumacher has made no secret of his need to make a Formulation 1 return following his two-year tenure with Haas, and the brand new Cadillac group seemed to be a serious 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 check 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 mentioned it was “robust” for him ultimately, though he understood the group’s determination.
“I feel that the entire state of affairs has been a troublesome one in some methods, but additionally I feel understandably they went in a distinct route,” mentioned Schumacher in a press convention confirming his IndyCar transfer.
“The data that I had just about till the top was that we’d been in rivalry for that seat, after which they went a distinct route, which is honest sufficient, and it simply led to me having to know, okay, what do I would like? Do I need to attempt to hold getting again onto the F1 grid or do I need to do racing that I get pleasure from?
“That’s clearly single-seaters, and yeah, fortunately the chance got here up with a group, and I’m tremendous glad and tremendous pleased to be right here the place I’m now.”
Mick Schumacher, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Photograph 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 imagine his transfer to IndyCar marks the top 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 motive, so I don’t see why the transfer to IndyCar would shut that door, no.”
Nevertheless, 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 part shall be just about new to me,” he mentioned. “Loads of the race tracks are new, oval racing shall be new, so there are a variety of issues that I nonetheless have to know, to study.
“Clearly, I’ve nice team-mates alongside me – one with a variety of expertise and one who has simply had contemporary expertise. I feel I’ve a great mixture there of tips that could go off.
“What can be successful? I feel in the end simply the sensation that we’ve been capable of put every part in place and that we set ourselves, let’s say, a goal. What that focus 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 plenty of good issues occurring for the time being, so I don’t need 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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