Follow us on Google Discover Mick Schumacher has tried and failed to find a way back onto the Formula 1 grid since losing his seat with Haas at the end of 2022.
The German driver lasted two seasons before being dropped, before he was picked up by Toto Wolff to be Mercedes’ and McLaren’s reserve in 2023. He left them at the end of 2024 and continued to race in the World Endurance Championship for Alpine, but he might have just decided that it’s time for a change.
Single-seaters are where Schumacher was raised, and although he’s talented in other disciplines, he wants to make use of his skills before it’s too late. At the age of 26, he still has plenty to give, but finding his way back to Formula 1 is not going to be easy. Somewhere, he’s going to have to prove himself.
IndyCar may be that proving ground, after Alpine ‘slammed’ the door shut on Schumacher for a potential opening in 2026. It’s a championship that his father once admitted was too dangerous for his liking, but safety has come a long way over the last few decades.
Photo by Jakob Ebrey/LAT ImagesMick Schumacher’s IndyCar test just proved that Cadillac should have signed him for 2026
Schumacher was a hot candidate at Cadillac for their new team, arriving on the Formula 1 grid for the first time next year. In the end, they opted to go with experience, but they did consider all options for a while before settling on a line-up.
The 26-year-old has been linked with a variety of opportunities over the last few years, but his latest foray suggests he might be about to settle on a new challenge. He has just completed a test with Rahal Letterman Lanigan in IndyCar.
On the day, his best lap at the Indianapolis road course was good enough for third place in a machine that he had never driven before, on a circuit he isn’t likely to have raced on at all. The level of adaptability and speed he showed was impressive.
“Of course, it’s been my goal in recent years to return to Formula 1, but that option hasn’t really presented itself this year or in previous years,” Schumacher said, according to Speedweek. “I’d like to drive single-seaters again at some point, so this option is a good choice.
“It’s a great championship with 17 races. I’m still young, so I want to race as much as possible, and I believe the people here truly live motorsport. I also like the mentality that the driver is the most important part of the team and drives the team forward.”
Cadillac needed a reserve driver for some time after choosing their line-up, and could have picked Schumacher. They also could have opted to give him a full-time seat, but didn’t. His latest test proves that they might have just missed a trick.
Photo by Kym Illman/Getty ImagesHow has Mick Schumacher performed since leaving Formula 1 in 2022?
In a competitive setting, Schumacher has only raced for Alpine since leaving Formula 1, and took one year away from action entirely in 2023.
It means that he has been limited to just 15 events in nearly three years, but he has shown flashes of brilliance at times.
He scored two podiums in the first three races of 2025, but has gone on a bit of a dry spell since. Could a return to IndyCar spark a Formula 1 revival?
Judging by the performance of some, probably only if he goes on to finish in the top three and take some statement victories. He has to remind everyone of what he can do in a single-seater.