F1’s Mick Schumacher Joins IndyCar With Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

The Schumacher name is coming to the NTT IndyCar Series as Mick Schumacher will join Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing beginning in 2026.

Schumacher is a former Formula 1 driver and the son of one of the greatest F1 drivers of all-time, seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher.

“I am delighted to confirm today that I will be competing in the IndyCar Series next year with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, taking part in the full season,” Schumacher said. “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. RLL prepared me extremely well during testing already, and I am sure that we can build a lot together.

“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. 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’s career includes 43 Formula One starts and a best finish of sixth place, along with three podiums in World Endurance Championship (WEC) competition. Sponsorship details will be announced at a later date.

Mick Schumacher Ready For The Ovals

Schumacher will compete on ovals for the first time in his career as six of the 17 races in the 2026 IndyCar Series will take place on an oval or superspeedway, including the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24. RLL is in the process of planning an oval test for Schumacher in the near future.

The Swiss-born driver will compete in the No. 47 Honda-powered entry and completes the team’s 2026 full-season lineup alongside Graham Rahal and 2025 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year, Louis Foster. The number 47 carries symbolic meaning for Schumacher as it is a nod to his father and his family.

“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.”

Schumacher most recently competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2024 and 2025 for Alpine and is switching his focus to IndyCar for 2026. On October 13, he completed an IndyCar test on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) road course, impressing the team with his pace, adaptability and technical feedback — an experience that further fueled his desire to return to open-wheel racing.

“I’m delighted to welcome Mick Schumacher to the RLL family — a young man who has competed against some of the world greatest racers,” RLL co-owner David Letterman said. “With Graham Rahal, Louis Foster and now Mick, the future for RLL is limitless. I’m very excited for the 2026 season.

“I’m still waiting for my seat fitting.”

Mick Schumacher Could Bring Dramatic Change To Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Schumacher’s hiring is another sign of the dramatic changes that are planned for the team since former IndyCar Series President Jay Frye joined the team as its president a few months into the 2025 season.

“Opportunities like this are rare, and we couldn’t be more excited to see everything come together. Mick is an exceptional talent on the track and an outstanding young man off of it. We are very proud to have Mick as part of the RLL family.”

Mick Schumacher’s Career

Schumacher was born and raised in Switzerland and is the son of seven-time Formula One World Drivers’ Champion Michael Schumacher and his equestrian wife Corinna, as well as the nephew of former Formula One driver Ralf.

Initially competing under the pseudonyms Mick Betsch and Mick Junior, Schumacher finished runner-up to Enaam Ahmed at the junior direct-drive Karting World Championship and Karting European Championship in 2014. Graduating to junior formula in 2015, Schumacher finished runner-up in both ADAC F4 and Italian F4 in 2016. After finishing third in the MRF Challenge Championship in 2016-2017, Schumacher moved to FIA European Formula 3, winning the championship with Prema in 2018. Progressing to FIA Formula 2 for 2019, Schumacher won the title in 2020 with Prema.

He became a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2019 and went on to participate in rookie testing for Alfa Romeo and Haas in F1 in 2020, before he signed with the latter as a full-time driver in 2021. He made his Formula One debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix alongside Nikita Mazepin, but Haas failed to score points during the season with the VF-21, with Schumacher earning a season-best finish of 12th in Hungary.

In 2022, Schumacher teamed with Kevin Magnussen and scored his maiden points finish at the British Grand Prix with eighth place, followed by a career-best sixth at the Austrian Grand Prix. He was also the official reserve driver for Ferrari in 2022. For 2023 and 2024, he served as a reserve driver for Mercedes, which included serving in the same capacity for McLaren and Williams. In 2024, he moved to the FIA World Endurance with Alpine and achieved his first podium finish at the 6 Hours of Fuji. In 2025, he earned podium finishes in WEC at the 6 Hours of Imola and Spa-Francorchamps.

“What a great addition to our team,” RLL co-owner Michael Lanigan said. “Mick has the skills and experience that will help enhance our overall competitiveness in one of the most competitive racing series in the world.

“Welcome aboard Mick.”

The addition of Mick Schumacher could be another indication that Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is building a team that may challenge with the top-tier teams in IndyCar in the near future.