Monday saw the second off-season IndyCar team test. 7 drivers participated, including WEC driver Mick Schumacher. His first taste of IndyCar wasn’t just another test day; it was a glimpse into a possible new chaper. Testing with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, eyes were on him as he looked to make his mark. And he made it, finishing the day third – just over 2 tenths behind fellow F2 graduate Dennis Hauger. Following the test, The Girls Who – Motorsport spoke with Schumacher about his experience and what it could mean for his 2026 campaign.

Preparing for the Test

Having raced in a range of series, we spoke about how Mick Schumacher how he prepared ahead of this test. He admitted that the preparation was “pretty extensive”, going on to explain how he’d done “a couple of days in the workshop” as well as spending time in the RLL sim. 

Schumacher explained to use the preparation for IndyCar required a balance of precision and adaptability, but that it “compares pretty similarly” to the likes of Formula One and WEC. He also mentioned that it was good to spend time with the team ahead of the test, saying that they were “able to talk through some of the points that we’re keen on trying.” The preparation he did alongside RLL allowed the pairing to have a “very good approach” during the test.

Settling Into Rahal Letterman Lanigan: A Fresh Challenge

In this test Schumacher took on another new challenge – working alongside a brand new team. He drove for RLL – a team owned by former racer Bobby Rahal alongside David Letterman and Mike Lanigan. After driving for teams associated with Formula One – such as Alpine Endurance Team, HAAS F1, and PREMA Racing (as a Ferrari Driver Academy member) – the German driver would be experiencing a brand new environment.

When asked about this new environment, Schumacher had nothing but praise to say. “They were great … You can feel that everybody enjoys what they’re doing,” Schumacher said. He went on to explain that he had that feeling from the start and that they were clearly passionate about motorsports. 

“Everybody is very excited about racing and very keen to just have people trying their cars and seeing what feedback they have to obviously move forward and improve.”

A Challenging Aspect?

Communication was simultaneously Schumachers favourite and most challenging aspect of the test. He noted how different words are used in the American series compared to Europe. “Like new tyres isn’t ‘new tyres’. It’s stickers here,”  he explained to us.

Schumacher mentioned how “communication is a bit different” and how some aspects were new to him – such as feet, yards, and pounds. However, he went on to say that “it’s good to work with another metric.” 

Crossing the Ocean: Europe to America

Schumacher wouldn’t be the first to go from the world of European racing and head across the pond to IndyCar. He raced alongside some of the current IndyCar drivers in his time in Formula 3 and 2. With more young drivers making the swap, we asked if that had any influence on Schumacher’s decision to give the series a test.

His interests were spiked when some drivers “said it was very fun,” but he’s “definitely always wanted to try it.” Schumacher showed his interest in the sport, telling us he has been following IndyCar for a “couple of years”.

Learning From The Past

Finally, we looked towards the future. IndyCar is a potential opportunity for Schumacher in 2026. So we asked him what he could take from his past experiences if he were to move. Although he didn’t give much away about his plans, he did explain how he learns from each series to improve. “I take a lot of knowledge and kind of put it all together so that it fits the best wherever I go.”

Schumacher thinks that “it’s helpful to have the background knowledge” of the different series. He believes “they will all teach you something new.” To finish, he shared that his experiences “will always help me to move on and move forward and essentially be a better driver.”

Whether Mick Schumacher makes the jump back to single-seaters, stays in endurance, or goes down another path, our interview made it clear that he enjoyed the test. There might be some time before we find out his future, but IndyCar does seem to be a serious competitor. Not just for him, but for the teams too.