I thought I was prepared for even the unlikeliest of racing headlines this year, but I’ll admit that “a Schumacher driving a Honda-powered IndyCar at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway” never crossed my mind. Yet, here we are. It was announced this morning that Mick Schumacher will partake in a private test on the IMS road course hosted by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Not much was said by the series or the team about the reason for the test, let alone its overall purpose. While I can’t imagine it’s purely for exhibition or fun, it also wouldn’t be the first time a former Formula 1 driver tests an IndyCar with no plans of joining the series. Schumacher’s only previous involvement came earlier this year, when he attended the Indy 500 as a guest/spectator.
“I am very much looking forward to driving my first IndyCar test,” said Schumacher. “A big thank you to the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team for giving me this opportunity. The same goes for driving this car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time, a racetrack with a big history and that my dad has driven on before. I am excited to see which special features it holds.
“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. It is not a secret that I am big fan of single-seater racing, after all, 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.”
Judging by Schumacher’s statements, it sounds like he’s pretty pumped for the opportunity and is aching to get back into open-wheel racing after several years in a WEC prototype, where he has scored multiple podiums with Alpine. It’ll be interesting to see how quickly he acclimatizes to the unique demands of an Indy car and what ultimately comes out of this test.
In a world where IndyCar is working overtime to increase its profile, viewership, and race attendance, bringing a big name like Schumacher into the fold—even if he hasn’t been as successful as we all hoped—would certainly give the series and its ratings a big boost.
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