Mick Schumacher reveals Cadillac F1 predicament that led to his IndyCar move

Mick Schumacher, who recently announced his move to IndyCar for 2026, opened up about his failed talks with Cadillac F1. The German driver was in contention for one of the seats at the General Motors-backed team, which enters F1 next year as the 11th team on the grid.

In July this year, Schumacher shared that he was 'honored' to be in negotiations with Cadillac F1 and that the communication between them had been "positive so far." However, the American team eventually went with experienced Grand Prix winners Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, who were the other two contenders.

In an IndyCar press conference on Tuesday, November 25, a day after Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced it had signed Mick Schumacher, the 26-year-old shared his feelings about the Cadillac F1 situation.

"I mean, I think that the whole situation has been a tough one in some ways, but also, I think, understandably, they went into a different direction," Schumacher said via ASAP Sports. "The information that I had up to pretty much the end, we'd been in contention for that seat, and then they went a different direction, which is fair enough."

Elaborating on how he weighed his options after Cadillac F1's rejection, the former Haas F1 driver added:

"And it just led to me having to understand, okay, what do I want? Do I want to try and keep getting back on to the F1 grid, or do I want to do racing that I enjoy? That's obviously single-seaters, and yeah, thankfully, the opportunity came up with a team, and I'm super glad and super happy to be here where I am now."

Mick Schumacher drove for Haas in 2021 and 2022, and barely anything good came out of the partnership for either party. He scored points on two occasions, with a P6 as his best result. He joined Mercedes as its reserve driver in 2023 and continued in that role for 2024.

That year, he also joined Alpine to race in the World Endurance Championship. Schumacher departed Alpine after the 2025 WEC season, with a trio of podium finishes to his name in their two-year partnership.

Mick Schumacher gives verdict on potential F1 return after IndyCar

Mick Schumacher getting in his Haas F1 car at the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Mick Schumacher will drive the No. 47 Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in 2026, alongside teammates Graham Rahal, who will enter his 19th IndyCar season next year, and Louis Foster, the 2025 Rookie of the Year. This partnership manifested after the German driver tested with the team on October 13 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

Both sides were happy with what they experienced during the test and in the lead-up to it, which involved Schumacher getting a special tour of RLL's shop in Zionsville, Indiana, and simulator sessions. However, the 26-year-old doesn't see IndyCar as an obstacle to a potential F1 return in the future.

When asked if he felt an IndyCar switch would affect his future F1 prospects, Schumacher replied:

"No, I think that in any case, the world of F1 is a very specific one and a special one, but obviously it's still single-seater. And I think that there's been plenty of great drivers, and numerous also sent into affiliation with some other teams in F1 for good reasons, so I don't see why the move to IndyCar would close that door, no."

Mick Schumacher is on a one-year deal with RLL with the possibility of an extension. Their partnership will officially hit the ground in 2026, with the team already planning an extensive testing schedule that will allow him to get up to pace with oval racing, among other challenges.