Mick Schumacher, a former Formula 1 driver and the son of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher, will go full-time INDYCAR racing in 2026 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Schumacher tested with RLL in October on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and has been seen as the likely replacement for Devlin DeFrancesco, who finished 26th in the standings.
The 26-year-old Schumacher drove for the Haas F1 team in 2021-22, earning no points his rookie season and finishing 16th in the standings in 2022. He competed for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship the last two seasons.
“Having both an F1 and an endurance background and having competed in various racing series over the years, I have insights and knowledge that I am sure will contribute to a great partnership,” Schumacher said in a statement.
“RLL prepared me extremely well during testing already, and I am sure that we can build a lot together.”
Mick Schumacher is making a big move to INDYCAR in 2026.
While he has extensive experience on road courses, Schumacher does not have any experience on ovals. He will have to lean on teammates Graham Rahal and Louis Foster to accelerate his learning curve.
That began with the initial test, albeit on a road course. He will get a test relatively soon on an oval.
“I was also immediately excited about the car and the American way of motorsport which comes across as being more about pure and direct racing, and it is precisely this aspect that I am very much looking forward to,” Schumacher said.
“And of course, I am curious about new experiences and always interested in broadening my horizons. For me, a new journey is beginning here, and I am excited for the season to start.”
Schumacher will drive the No. 47, which is a number he has run during his racing career, partly as a tribute to his father’s seven championships. Sponsorship is still to be announced.
“I think I speak for everyone at RLL when I say how thrilled we are to welcome Mick to the team and to INDYCAR,” RLL co-owner Bobby Rahal said. “His test with us on the IMS road course was exceptional – he impressed every single team member.
“Everyone walked away from that event determined to do what we could to bring Mick into our program. We’re thrilled he’s chosen to join us, and we can’t wait to get to work.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
