From Andretti and Unser to Herta and Rahal, IndyCar is very familiar with multi-generational star drivers. Now, one is joining from the other side of the Atlantic. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced on Monday that it has signed Mick Schumacher to a full-time contract for the 2026 season. The son of the seven-time Formula 1 champion will drive the No. 47 alongside Graham Rahal and Louis Foster.
While Schumacher isn’t a stranger to open-wheel racing, he’ll need to get to grips with oval racing. The German driver impressed the team during a test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month. However, the session took place on the facility’s road course. The team has stated that an oval test is planned for the 26-year-old in the near future. On the move, Schumacher said in a statement:
“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. And of course, I am curious about new experiences and always interested in broadening my horizons. For me, a new journey is beginning here, and I am excited for the season to start.”
Mick Schumacher’s top-flight career has been eventful to say the least
Schumacher had a tumultuous two-season stint in F1 with Haas across 2021 and 2022. He was initially paired with Nikita Mazepin, the son of a Russian oligarch. The elder Mazepin long tried to buy his son’s way into the world championship, including attempting to purchase the Force India team that was eventually acquired by Lawrence Stroll and rebranded as Aston Martin. While Haas received a lucrative title sponsorship, the pair of rookies were tossed into the deep end without an experienced hand to acclimate them to racing in F1. Haas finished dead last as the only team to fail to score points in 2021.
Haas would cut ties with the Mazepins after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The performance of the team and Schumacher would improve with veteran Kevin Magnussen returning. However, the uptick wasn’t good enough to save the young German’s seat at Haas. Schumacher has spent the last two seasons racing at Alpine in the FIA World Endurance Championship. His fortunes weren’t any better with lackluster equipment in the hypercompetitive championship. Despite earning three podium finishes, actually winning races wasn’t in the cards against the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and Toyota.
IndyCar isn’t used to driver numbering being a personal brand
While teams in IndyCar traditionally control the numbers on their cars and opt for recognizable patterns, Schumacher will run the No. 47, his personal number from F1. RLL exclusively used multiples of 15 on its full-time entries since the team returned to full-time competition in 2012. Last season, Rahal drove the No. 15 while Devin DeFrancesco was in the No. 30 and Louis Foster debuted in the No. 45. It was presumed that Schumacher would take over DeFrancesco’s number.
Schumacher previously explained that No. 47 is sentimental to him and his family. He won the 2018 FIA F3 European Championship with the No. 4, his favorite number. However, it was unavailable in F1 because it was already in use with McLaren driver Lando Norris. He opted to add the 7 digit as a reference to his father’s seven F1 world championships. For those wondering, the No. 4 is unavailable in IndyCar as well. A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Alongside the four-time Indy 500 winner’s famous No. 14, the team usually runs No. 4 or No. 41 on its other entries. Hopefully, Schumacher will write his own history in IndyCar over the coming years.
