Mick Schumacher to IndyCar confirmed as Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing makes official announcement

Mick Schumacher has officially signed with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing to make his highly awaited jump to IndyCar in 2026. The son of Michael Schumacher tested with RLL at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on October 13, eyeing a full-time switch to the American open-wheel racing series next year.

The former F1 driver's professionalism and pace had impressed everybody on the team. In 2026, he will replace Devlin DeFrancesco, who had a contract for next season, but as per some reported performance contract clause, could've been replaced.

On Monday, November 24, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing shared a press release on its website with the official announcement. However, the release seemed to be accidental, as the date on it was November 25, and the team deleted it shortly after.

Nearly two hours later, RLL reposted the release on its website. In his statement, Mick Schumacher expressed his excitement about joining IndyCar in 2026, saying:

"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," the German added.

Last week, Mick Schumacher announced that he would depart Alpine's World Endurance Championship squad after having concluded the 2025 season. He spent two seasons with the team in 2024 and 2025, securing three podiums during that stint.

Schumacher's two-year F1 stint with Haas was a failure, which ultimately led to a bitter divorce between the two after the 2022 season. He served as Mercedes' F1 reserve driver in 2023 and 2024, before vacating the position for Valtteri Bottas in 2025.

RLL bosses shower praise on Mick Schumacher as team enters a new era in IndyCar

Mick Schumacher at the F1 Miami GP - Source: Getty

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing co-owner Bobby Rahal spoke highly of Mick Schumacher. The three-time IndyCar champion and 1986 Indy 500 winner shared that the former F1 driver had left the RLL crew members floored after his first IndyCar test in October.

"His test with us on the IMS road course was exceptional," Rahal said. "He impressed every single team member. Everyone walked away from that event determined to do what we could to bring Mick into our programme. We’re thrilled he’s chosen to join us, and we can’t wait to get to work."

Mick Schumacher will drive the No. 47 Honda in 2026, racing alongside IndyCar veteran Graham Rahal and 2025 Rookie of the Year Louis Foster. Bobby Rahal's co-owners, legendary American talk show host David Letterman, and businessman Mike Lanigan, also expressed their glee about this new partnership, stating how the "future is limitless" for the team.

Besides Schumacher's signing, RLL has made big-ticket signings in leadership roles this year. In April, it signed Jay Frye as its team president after he was axed as IndyCar president ahead of the 2025 season. In November, it signed former IndyCar executive Brian Barnhart to be Graham Rahal's new strategist, Kyle Sagan to be the team's new pit stop manager, and former Arrow McLaren team principal Gavin Ward in an open capacity reporting to Frye.