Mick Schumacher hails IndyCar racing as "the way it should be" after F1

Mick Schumacher may have just signed to drive the Honda No. 47 for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in next season’s IndyCar Series, but he is already truly excited about what lies ahead as he transitions to the American way of racing. The Swiss-born German climbed the ladder in the single-seater formula feeder series – winning championships in Formula 3 and Formula 2 – on his way to Formula 1, but once there he found himself stuck with machinery limitations that largely define expectations in the pinnacle of motorsport. Driving for Haas F1 Team in 2021 and 2022, Schumacher more often than not found himself at the back of the field, managing just two points-paying finishes. Read Also:

Mick Schumacher makes IndyCar switch with RLL in 2026

Now in IndyCar, while there are still teams that stand out over the course of a season, the nature of the racing is completely different. Schumacher is looking forward to having more opportunities behind the wheel but also to rising to the challenge. “It’s great. I think it’s the way it should be. I think it’s great that you have so many different potential winners. It is down to you to really dig deep and try to get everything out of yourself. Yeah, I’m very excited about it, and I think there’s lots to look forward to,” he said in a virtual press conference. “I think it reminds me a little bit of the good old karting days,” he added about IndyCar racing. “I think it’s 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 of other drivers and they really enjoy the racing side of things. “I think for me, it was really just about getting into my own car and doing that, feeling that, and being able to take the opportunities that are given to me. Therefore, yeah, I’m just purely excited for the great racing that there will be and the fun it will bring.” Schumacher’s confirmation to race full-time in IndyCar in 2026 came around 40 days after he got his first taste of an IndyCar with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing around the 2.4-mile, 14-turn road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He left IMS saying he was “very open” to a future in IndyCar racing, although he needed some time to let the experience sink in. “Well, I think that ultimately for me, it was just interesting to explore that single-seater route again and kind of be more settled in it,” he said about the decision-making process that led him to commit to all 17 IndyCar rounds in 2026 with RLL. “Obviously to me, IndyCar was the best option. I just had to confirm to myself and to everybody around me that this is something I could see myself doing long-term. Therefore, I think the decision-making process was pretty simple. It was just trying to figure out how committed I would be, and obviously I wouldn’t be here if I weren’t 100 percent committed.”

Schumacher isn’t afraid of oval racing

Mick Schumacher, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Six of the 17 races on the 2026 IndyCar schedule will take place on ovals, the first coming early in the season with the second round at Phoenix Raceway on March 7, before heading to the crown jewel: the Indianapolis 500 in May. Despite the added risk of oval racing — especially on a superspeedway like Indianapolis Motor Speedway — something that often makes European drivers think twice about IndyCar, Schumacher was clear about his approach. “Yeah, of course it’s something that I’ve been thinking about. But on the other hand, I think motorsport as a whole is dangerous, so I don’t really see why that one thing should be more dangerous than anything else,” he said. “Obviously there have been multiple things, and Jay (Frye, RLL president and former IndyCar president) has been a big part of making oval racing, or just racing in IndyCar in general, safer. We’ve had multiple conversations about that, and they’ve all been positive to my ears. “That’s why I ultimately took the decision. Of course it’s not something to take lightly. I don’t take it lightly. It is crazy speeds; it is super quick. We’re obviously racing hard, side by side. But I accept the risk for the enjoyment of the racing.” Furthermore, he was adamant that taking a partial schedule to avoid ovals was never considered: “To me, it was important not to do a halfway thing but actually go in and do it 100 percent, and definitely ovals are part of that. I’ve had good conversations with people who had good and bad views on it, and I just had to average that out and decide for myself.”

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