This week, it was announced that former Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher will join the IndyCar grid in 2026. In October, he participated in a pre-season test with RLL Racing, and he’ll replace Devlin DeFrancesco in 2026. Let’s take a look at who the newest rookie on the grid is and where he came from.

Showing Promise from a Young Age

As a young karter, Schumacher opted to race under his mother’s maiden name—taking the pseudonym Mick Betsch. He showed promise from a young age, winning the 2010 German series Kerpener Kartchallenger Bambini. In 2011 and 2012, he competed in the KF3 Euro WinterCup kart series, achieving third overall both years. 

Advancing to the KF-Junior series in 2013, his success would continue. In 2014, Schumacher took consecutive second places in the CIK-FIA European and World Championships and the German Karting Championship. His early success saw him advance to single-seaters in 2015.

Schumacher would go on to achieve 11 wins and 24 podiums across the ADAC Formula 4 and Italian Formula 4 Championships. Alongside these, he also raced in the MRF Challenge Formula 2000—taking a further four wins and 11 podiums. Eventually, he joined Formula 3 (then known as the Formula 3 European Championship) with PREMA Powerteam in 2017. He would go on to win the series in 2018 with eight wins and 14 podiums.

Joining Ferrari and Formula 1

In 2019, Schumacher joined the Ferrari Driver Academy. “I am thrilled that Ferrari has entered a partnership with me and my next future in motorsport will be in red.” Schumacher said upon his signing. “It is more than obvious that Ferrari has a big place in my heart since I was born and also in the hearts of our family.”

He continued to Formula 2 with PREMA Racing and came 12th in his first year, taking a maiden win at the Hungaroring. The following year he became a test driver for the Ferrari customer teams, Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen and Haas F1 Team, alongside his F2 campaign. He ultimately went on to become the champion—narrowly winning ahead of current IndyCar driver Callum Ilott. 

2021 saw the Schumacher name return to Formula 1 as he joined the Uralkali Haas F1 Team. Lasting two years in the championship, his time was marred by having a backmarker car, crashes, and a lack of luck. His inaugural year saw no points scored. However, in his second year he’d achieve 12 points. As Schumacher parted with Formula 1, he also parted ways with Ferrari.

Mercedes, Alpine, and Endurance

Following his exit from Ferrari, Schumacher went on to sign with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. He joined as their reserve driver. In 2023, he drove for both Mercedes and McLaren in Pirelli tyre-testing and private testing sessions. In 2024, he also continued his testing, even taking one with Alpine to help them determine their 2025 line-up.

A new opportunity for Schumacher came from the World Endurance Championship. In 2024, he joined the Alpine Endurance Team as they made their debut in the HyperCar class. Their inaugural podium came at Fuji in 2024, and in 2025 they saw back-to-back podium finishes in Imola and Spa-Francochamps. 

This also saw him compete in the glorious 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Unfortunately, their first outing saw them retire after 88 laps. However, in 2025, they achieved a Top 10 finish.

Schumacher Meets IndyCar

In October 2025, Schumacher participated in a pre-season IndyCar team test with RLL Racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His initial outing in the single-seater series was a positive one, with him immediately showing pace and skill in the car. 

Following his outing, Schumacher was open about the possibility of joining the series, explaining how the test would help him understand the series and if it was something he’d want to do long term. Speaking to The Girls Who Motorsport, he discussed how it felt being with the new team: “They were great … they’re passionate about motorsports”.

“Everybody was just so impressed with Mick, not just his pace and all that, but his persona, his humility.”
~ RLL Racing’s Team Co-Owner Bobby Rahal on Schumacher’s test.

It has now been announced that in 2026 he’ll take on a new challenge and debut in IndyCar. Despite having their lineup confirmed, Devlin DeFrancesco has been ousted for Schumacher. He’ll race the no. 47 car and team up with Graham Rahal and Louis Foster as RLL look to continue their upwards trajectory in the sport.

Old Meets New: Adaptations and Expectations for 2026

Following the announcement, Schumacher spoke to The Girls Who Motorsports about going from Formula 1 to Endurance and joining IndyCar, and what he’s learnt about mental endurance and adapting to each series. “The mental side has always been important, especially when things are new.” He explained the importance of mental resilience and how his time in previous series has helped that grow. Ultimately, he feels as if he’s “happily equipped” for IndyCar and is excited to join the series.

Three new tracks join the IndyCar calendar in 2026. Schumacher told us how “it’s an advantage if you have driven on a racetrack“ as you have the insights already, and he shared how that will be lacking for him as a rookie. However, he doesn’t think that “it’s a bad thing that there are three new tracks for everybody” and that he’s “excited to see what they’ll be like“. He shared how he’s been in the sim to prepare, and that it’s been helpful for him.

What isn’t new to him, though, are his competitors. Joining fellow ex-FDA drivers Marcus Armstrong, Callum Ilott, and Robert Shwartzman, as well as rookies Dennis Hauger and Caio Collet, he becomes the latest European to take a chance on the American series. “It’s just going to be fun to see them again, catch up, but also race hard against them.” He smiled as he spoke about returning to the track with his ex-teammates.

“Being competitive every race. It’s all about improvement everytime we go out. We do that, then we’ll be in a good place.”
~ Bobby Rahal on what RLL would consider a win in 2026.

The Schumacher legacy continues on as Mick takes this new career step. With successes throughout his career, what will he be able to achieve as he navigates this new path?

You can learn more about the 2026 IndyCar rookies and their journeys here.