Much has been written about Mick Schumacher, and being the son of F1 racing royalty has boosted his media ratings far beyond the talent he showed when driving for Haas F1. Mick joined the US owned team in 2021 having won the F2 drivers’ title the previous season at a time when team owner Gene Haas was refusing to put up any more finance to support the team.
He and the son of a Russian oligarch brought much needed sponsors to Haas although their driving talent and the team’s ability to b Hilda competitive car did little for the results. Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin failed to score a point between them in 2021 before the Russian invasion of Ukraine saw the Russian excluded from sporting competition in Europe which saw him dropped by Haas F1 for the 2022 season.
Kevin Magnussen returned to fill his old seat with Haas and together with Schumacher the team raised its game to finish the season in eight place.
Mick’s F1 reputation
Mick developed a reputation for being somewhat of a ‘crash meister’, with his spectacular crash in the swimming pool section in Monaco breaking his car in two. Haas team boss Guenther Steiner added to this folk law following the publication of his memoirs, where he commented on the reason for sacking Mick using the phrase, “You cannot beat up a dead horse.”
Filmed speaking to team owner Gene by Netflix Drive to Survive camera’s after another Schumacher crash in Jeddah, Steiner said to the American: “Oh, it is bad. Between half a million to a million, I would say. It’s like, fucking hell. We gave him a year to learn, what does he do? The second race he fucking destroys a car just because the other one is faster.”
The narrative of Guenther railing against Schumacher’s propensity to crash remains today in the consciousness of F1 fans, though there has been much support in the media when various Mick return to F1 reports have been rumoured. Schumacher has been racing for Alpine in the WEC this season and was offered a back door return to F1 by new team Cadillac.
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Schumacher offered Cadillac drive
The proposal was Mick would move to the successful WEC Cadillac sponsored JOTA team and fulfil a role for the F1 outfit as reserve and test driver. Remarkably Schumacher declined this opportunity but the latest revelations suggest the reasons behind this decision.
Indy car team Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced today, that Mick Schumacher will test with them in the next two weeks. He will take the wheel of an Indycar for the first time on October 13th in a day long session intended to familiarise him with the technical specifications of an Indycar with an eye to future competition.
The test will take place at the iconic Indianapolis Speedway although it is unknown etc present whether this will be on the Formula One infield circuit exclusively or will include the 2.5m famous oval where the ‘greatest spectacle in racing’ takes place each month of May.
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Michael’s Indianpolilis record
Mick’s father competed at the Indianapolis Speedway in his F1 years, when the circuit decided to build an infield track to accommodate F1 cars. Michael won the F1 race there five times including the infamous 6 car race in 2006 when French tyre manufacturer told its customer teams their compounds were not safe to run the high downforce sections of banking the circuit utilised.
The farcical sight of a six car grid due to the FIA’s intransigence to allow a temporary chicane to be installed so the Michelin teams could run, was met with contempt by US fans and the media alike. The contract with F1 was completed in 2007 and the sport failed to return to the US until 2012 when the Circuit of the America’s was complete.
RLL team boss Bobby Rahal is looking forward to the test in two weeks time, stating: “The thought of seeing him in one of our race cars is very exciting. I think it’s going to be a great day for RLL and also for Mick as he gets his first experience in an Indy car. Obviously, he’s got a great deal of talent and knowing that we’ve had pretty good setups for the IMS road course, it should give him a good baseline to start from.”
Mick says Indycar ‘physical’
Mick himself is anticipating following in his fathers footsteps. “I am very much looking forward to driving my first IndyCar test,” he said. “A big thank you to the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team for giving me this opportunity. The same goes for driving this car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time, a racetrack with a big history and that my dad has driven on before. I am excited to see which special features it holds.”
“I am very curious to understand the special features and characteristics of this race car, which is different from the cars I am used to driving, yet similar, and I remain very interested in gaining experience in the diverse world of motorsport,” he added.
“Great to be able to see what it is all about and how difficult it is, since I hear a lot about how tough it is physically. It is not a secret that I am (a) big fan of single-seater racing, after all, so this first IndyCar test will be an experience to treasure, and I am very much looking forward to driving a car where I can see my wheels.”
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Whilst the path from Indycar to F1 is one not travelled for some two decades, the other direction is now well travelled and with significant success. Marcus Ericson having toiled away in the F1 midfield for six seasons with Sauber made the move across the Atlantic going on to win the Indy500 in 2022.
Both Alexander Rossi and Tacuma Sato who had disappointing F1 careers have also won at the brickyard in May, with the American claiming the 100th anniversary ‘glass of milk’ prize and the Japanese driver winning twice in 2017 and 2020.
Indycar is a rough and tough racing series with no holds barred, often with multiple crashes each race day. The 2026 season begins March 1st in St. Petersburg, where Schumacher may finally return to the style of racing he loves.
48,500 tickets gone as F1 fans go Madring crazy
Hype for the ‘MadRing’ explodes: Madrid sells 48,500 tickets – Madrid has barely had time to catch its breath since Formula 1’s arrival was confirmed for 2026, and the numbers already tell their own story. In less than two weeks since pre-sales began, more than 48,500 tickets have been sold for the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at the brand-new MadRing circuit. This is not just a sales figure; it’s a statement. Madrid is diving headfirst into F1 fever, and the rest of the sporting world is watching.
The sudden rush for tickets highlights the high level of anticipation surrounding one of the sport’s most eye-catching new venues. Sales opened on 15 September, and 20,000 tickets were sold within twelve hours. The cheapest options, ‘pelouse’/GA tickets and standard stands, were snapped up almost instantly. By the end of September, the total had reached almost 50,000, putting Madrid on course for one of the most spectacular Formula 1 venue debuts ever…. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
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