Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced on Friday that former Haas F1 driver and Mercedes test driver Mick Schumacher will be testing their IndyCar on October 13 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 2020 Formula 2 champion and son of Michael Schumacher has spent the last two years with Alpine in the WEC, where he has three podiums and is currently 13th in points.
A return to single-seaters for Schumacher in Indycar
After racing for Haas from 2021-22, Schumacher spent the next two years as Mercedes’ reserve driver while his name has persistently floated around silly season chatter. Although this season he left his F1 reserve role to focus on WEC, he acknowledged.
“It is not a secret that I am [a] big fan of single-seater racing[…] so this first Indycar test will be an experience to treasure, and I am very much looking forward to driving a car where I can see my wheels.”
“I am very curious to understand the special features and characteristics of this race car, which is different from the cars I am used to driving, yet similar, and I remain very interested in gaining experience in the diverse world of motorsport. Great to be able to see what it is all about and how difficult it is, since I hear a lot about how tough it is physically.”
Ideal conditions from RLL for next month’s test
The test will take place on the road course, where RLL has been strong as of late despite an overall rough form in the last few years. The team’s last podium was there in 2024 with Christian Lundgaard, and in 2025 all three drivers started in the top 6, with Graham Rahal leading the most laps before finishing 6th. The circuit is also where Michael Schumacher won five of the eight runnings of the United States GP in its original layout.
This form as a team should provide a good yardstick for RLL to assess Schumacher for potential Indycar duties in the 2026 season. Team owner Bobby Rahal anticipates a positive experience for the German.
“It’s going to be a great day for RLL and also for Mick, as he gets his first experience in an Indy car. Obviously, he’s got a great deal of talent and knowing that we’ve had pretty good setups for the IMS road course, it should give him a good baseline to start from.”
