Graham Rahal gives 'pleasing' update on Mick Schumacher's IndyCar test and morale at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

IndyCar veteran Graham Rahal has given a positive update about Mick Schumacher's first test with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Rahal is the lead driver at RLL, the team co-owned by his father, Bobby Rahal, a three-time IndyCar champion and 1986 Indy 500 winner.

Schumacher participated in his first IndyCar two weeks ago on October 13. He piloted the No. 75 Honda for RLL at the 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. The 26-year-old's F1 legend father, Michael Schumacher, won at the track five times when the F1 United States Grand Prix was held there.

Mick Schumacher was doing the test with the intention of possibly switching to the premier American open-wheel racing series in 2026, and RLL facilitated it with the intention of potentially signing him for next season. Graham Rahal wanted to be at the track during the former F1 driver's test, but had to be by his wife's side at the hospital, with the couple expecting their third child.

In a recent interview with Wish-TV, over a week after welcoming baby daughter Fallon Ruth Rahal, the IndyCar veteran spoke about Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's outlook for the 2026 season and touched upon Mick Schumacher's test.

"We're fired up, man," Rahal said. "We've been working awfully hard as a team, done a lot of development. Obviously, tested with Schumacher. You know, Mick, we'll see what happens there, but certainly pleased with what went on. Overall, I'm very impressed with what the team's doing."

Earlier this year, in the middle of the 2025 IndyCar season, Graham Rahal shared that the team feels right on the cusp of something big in terms of performance. The 37-year-old's best weekend this season came at the Sonsio GP at the IMS road course, where he qualified in an unexpectedly high P2 and secured P6 in the race.

Mick Schumacher would commit to IndyCar "100%" if he decides on a career switch

Mick Schumacher at the 8 Hours of Bahrain - World Endurance Championship - Source: Getty

In the past, there have been drivers from other series who joined IndyCar, but raced only road/street courses because they found oval racing to be dangerous. After his first test session at the IMS, when Mick Schumacher was asked if he'd take a similar path if and when he joins IndyCar, the German driver flat-out denied it, saying he'd commit to a full program.

Schumacher was asked a similar question upon the completion of his entire test about whether he would race part-time in IndyCar and remain committed to racing in the World Endurance Championship with Alpine, which is his current full-time job.

"To be honest, I think that's thinking quite far down the road yet," he said via IndyCar on YouTube. :Obviously if I were to commit to any championship, I would do it 100%. I think dual programs are not quite on my radar, as I feel like it would take quite a lot of energy and would be pretty distracting to do both. So if I were to commit, I would commit to 100% to either/or."

Mick Schumacher is eyeing another test with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing - an oval test - so that he gets a good idea of what IndyCar racing feels like before committing to it in 2026. If RLL were to sign him, he would replace Devlin DeFrancesco, whose seat is under threat, with performance-related clauses reportedly involved in his contract.

Edited by Yash Kotak