Schumacher Embraces Oval Challenge

Mick Schumacher has taken his first meaningful steps into one of IndyCar’s most distinctive disciplines, emerging from his maiden oval test both encouraged and visibly enthusiastic. The German driver completed his first laps on a banked circuit during a private Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) test at Homestead–Miami Speedway on Wednesday, describing the experience simply and emphatically as “fun”.

The session marked an important milestone in Schumacher’s preparation for his rookie IndyCar campaign in 2026, where he will race full-time as part of RLL’s three-car line-up. Homestead–Miami Speedway, located around 30 miles south of downtown Miami, provided a controlled and familiar testing environment for teams, even though the 1.5-mile oval has not featured on the IndyCar race calendar since 2010 and is now used exclusively for private running.

Schumacher drove the No. 47 Honda, still clad in an understated all-black test livery. Team-mate Graham Rahal completed an initial shakedown in the morning to verify baseline set-up and track conditions before handing the car over. Weather conditions were benign if changeable, with early cloud cover giving way to brighter spells and ambient temperatures ranging between 20 and 23 degrees Celsius.

Alongside Rahal, Ryan Briscoe was present throughout the day in his newly appointed role as Schumacher’s driver coach. The former IndyCar racer has been brought in specifically to guide Schumacher through the nuances of American open-wheel racing, with a particular focus on ovals — a form of racing entirely new to the former Formula 1 and endurance competitor.

Schumacher reported steady progress over the course of the test, completing a significant number of laps and working through a series of set-up changes with the team. He noted that the defining difference between an oval and a conventional road or street circuit was the absence of braking on corner entry, a mental and technical adjustment that initially required acclimatisation. Learning to commit to the corner at full throttle was unfamiliar, yet he found confidence quickly and without major difficulty.

While he readily acknowledged that there remains “a lot to learn”, Schumacher was clear that the foundations are being laid in the right manner. The emphasis, he suggested, was on understanding rather than performance, and on building comfort progressively rather than forcing speed.

Looking ahead, Schumacher’s schedule remains busy. He will next join the rest of the IndyCar field for a two-day collective test at Sebring International Raceway on 9–10 February, an important exercise ahead of the season’s street races due to Sebring’s notoriously uneven surface. The final pre-season oval test will follow at Phoenix Raceway on 17–18 February, ahead of the circuit’s long-awaited return to the IndyCar calendar as the second round of the championship on 7 March.

The season itself begins on 1 March on the streets of St Petersburg, Florida, before moving through a balanced calendar of street circuits, permanent road courses and six oval races. For Schumacher, that blend represents both a challenge and an opportunity — one he appears eager to embrace.

Key details from Schumacher’s first oval test

As first impressions go, Schumacher’s debut on an oval could hardly have been more positive — a promising sign as he adapts to the unique demands of IndyCar racing.