IndyCar News: Ralf warns Mick against ‘dangerous’ IndyCar move
(GMM) Ralf Schumacher (pictured with Mick Schumacher) has reacted with alarm to news that his nephew Mick will test an IndyCar for the first time later this month.
The 26-year-old son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher will drive for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing on October 13 at Indianapolis on the road course, not the oval.
But his uncle, six-time grand prix winner Ralf and Michael’s younger brother, told Sky Deutschland that he “doesn’t really understand” Mick’s motivation.
“To be honest, I haven’t spoken to him myself, but he was apparently quoted as saying that his heart is burning for motorsport and single-seater cars, and that’s why he’s so keen to try it out,” Ralf said.
“I don’t really understand that, because I believe he’s in great hands where he is now and can have a great future,” he added, referring to Mick’s full-time drive in Alpine’s WEC prototype program.
The 50-year-old warned that oval racing is “too dangerous” and recalled multiple terrible past accidents. “That’s why I, personally, don’t think it’s a good idea,” he insisted.
Ralf also questioned the career prospects of switching to IndyCar. “It’s not so easy for people from IndyCar to make the transition to Formula 1,” he said.
“The tests that have taken place so far have not been successful. And if you go over there, it’s a bit like Japan – the standard is still high, so it won’t be that easy to succeed in America.”
“And that’s why it’s an additional pressure that perhaps you don’t need to put yourself under,” he added, admitting he would forbid his own son David from doing the same.
“I, personally, understand the emotions, but if it were David, I would honestly resist it because it would simply be too dangerous for me.”
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Partial List of IndyCar Drivers who were killed
This list focuses on drivers who suffered fatal injuries while driving during IndyCar-sanctioned events (races, practices, qualifying, or testing). It draws from historical records of the National Championship and unified IndyCar Series, excluding non-racing incidents or pre-1916 events. Safety advancements have significantly reduced fatalities since the mid-20th century, with the last occurring in 2015.
Driver Name | Year | Event/Location | Cause of Fatality |
William Bourque | 1909 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Rear-axle failure, car flipped |
Sam Dickson | 1911 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Wheel detached, thrown from car |
Arthur Thurman | 1919 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Car overturned |
Louis LeCocq | 1919 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Car overturned, fuel tank exploded |
Gaston Chevrolet | 1920 | Beverly Hills Speedway (race) | Collision with another car |
Joe Boyer | 1924 | Altoona Speedway (race) | Tire blowout, crashed into guardrail |
Herbert Jones | 1926 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (qualifying) | Contact with wall, fractured skull |
Bill Spence | 1929 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Hit wall, thrown from car |
Joe Caccia | 1931 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (practice) | Crashed through wall, hit tree, car caught fire |
Mark Billman | 1933 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Skidded into wall, pinned under car |
Lester Spangler | 1933 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Head-on collision, car rolled over |
Pete Kreis | 1934 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (practice) | Lost control, hit wall and tree |
Johnny Hannon | 1935 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (practice) | Lost control, went over wall |
Clay Weatherly | 1935 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Crashed into wall, thrown onto track |
Floyd Roberts | 1939 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Multi-car crash |
Manny Ayulo | 1955 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (practice) | Steering failure, crashed into wall |
Bill Vukovich | 1955 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Multi-car pileup, car flipped and caught fire |
Pat O’Connor | 1958 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | 15-car pileup |
Tony Bettenhausen | 1961 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (practice) | Mechanical failure, crashed into wall and flipped |
Eddie Sachs | 1964 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Fiery collision |
Dave MacDonald | 1964 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Fiery collision |
Art Pollard | 1973 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (qualifying) | Crashed into wall |
Swede Savage | 1973 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (race) | Crashed into wall, caught fire (died from complications 33 days later) |
Gordon Smiley | 1982 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (qualifying) | High-speed impact into wall |
Scott Brayton | 1996 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (practice) | Tire deflation, slammed into wall |
Jeff Krosnoff | 1996 | Toronto (race) | Airborne crash into barriers |
Gonzalo Rodriguez | 1999 | Laguna Seca (qualifying) | High-speed crash |
Greg Moore | 1999 | Fontana (race) | Airborne crash |
Tony Renna | 2003 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway (testing) | High-speed crash into barriers |
Paul Dana | 2006 | Homestead-Miami Speedway (practice) | Collision with stalled car |
Dan Wheldon | 2011 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway (race) | 15-car pileup |
Justin Wilson | 2015 | Pocono Raceway (race) | Struck by debris |