Mick Schumacher will take to an IndyCar oval track for the first time with RLL during a jam-packed February testing calendar, according to RACER.
New kid on the block
The driver of the No. 75 RLL Honda will test his first oval track on Feb. 4, at the 1.5 mile Miami-Homestead Speedway facility in Florida. The test will take places just a few short days before the grid gathers at the Sebring International Raceway road course on Feb. 9-10.
Pressure is high for Mick Schumacher during a packed February testing schedule. Shortly after the outing at Homestead, the grid comes together again at the one-mile Phoenix Raceway oval on Feb. 17-18. Schumacher will need to pass his rookies oval test in front of IndyCar officials ahead of the running at Phoenix, and the Indy Open Test at the IMS in late April.
However, the RLL team is working on finding an oval track and IndyCar veteran to assist Schumacher, as well as the rest of the RLL lineup, similar to Chip Gannasi Racing’s mentoring by Dario Franchitti.
“Graham’s really good at that, but he’s already got a lot to do on a weekend; he’s busy driving, too,” RLL President Jay Frye commented on the search for a veteran voice for the RLL drivers. “Sometimes it’s good to have somebody go between the drivers to help them, so that’s something that we’re definitely looking into“
On the sim
Running simulations before taking to the track will be vital for Schumacher ahead of his first outing with RLL for testing in February.
Speaking to the media about prepping Schumacher for unfamiliar tracks, RLL President Jay Frye had this to say: “The sim schedule is being worked on, but we will certainly have Mick in the sim prior to going to Homestead.”
Schumacher voiced his own opinions about oval racing, and his experience with them in a media appearance in November with Pit Debrief and other outlets.
“I mean, I’ve only done oval racing in my home sim, so nothing like on a scale of what we’re going to be doing. Obviously it is technical for the reasons — it being one of the harder races to go after is because of that closeness that you have from car to car, but obviously the speeds that you’re going at, as well.”
The driver of the No. 75 voiced his excitement and eagerness to take on a new type of racing.
“Overall I think I’m just very excited to get going in the real car, learn what it is about it, and also to get that wheel-to-wheel action in those ovals because I think there’s a lot of things you could do good or could do bad, as it hurting performance-wise.”
“Definitely a lot to learn still, and I’m very excited and eager to learn. I’m sure we’ll be able to do that all together.”
A new challenge
When asked about the dangers of ovals, a new frontier in racing for Schumacher, this is what the German driver had to say to the media about the tricky and technical track type.
“Yeah, of course it’s something that I’ve been thinking about. But on the other hand, I think motorsports on the whole is dangerous, so I don’t really see why particularly that one thing should be more dangerous than anything else.”
He attributed a lot this comfort in taking on ovals to Frye, commenting on how the sport has become safer due to his involvement.
“Jay has been a big part of that, in making oval racing or just racing in INDYCAR safer, and therefore we’ve had multiple conversations about that, and they’ve all been positive to my ears. So yeah, that’s why I ultimately took the decision.
“It’s not to be taken on the easy shoulder. I don’t take it on the easy shoulder. I think that 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’s sake.”
