Mick Schumacher - Homestead-Miami Oval Test - By_ James Black/Penske Entertainment
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IndyCar News: Schumacher Completes His First Test on an Oval at Homestead

Posted by AR1 staff

Under the warm Florida sun at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a new chapter in motorsport history unfolded on February 4, 2026 for the famed Schumacher family. Mick Schumacher, the 26-year-old son of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher, strapped into the No. 47 Dallara-Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) and took his maiden laps on an oval track—a rite of passage for any driver transitioning to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

It was a day of firsts, filled with the thrill of discovery, a touch of awkwardness, and the quiet confidence of a racer born into the sport’s elite lineage.

Mick Schumacher – Homestead-Miami Oval Test – By_ James Black/Penske Entertainment

Schumacher, fresh from his Formula 1 days with Haas and a reserve role at Mercedes, had signed on for his rookie INDYCAR season with RLL, joining veterans like Graham Rahal and newcomer Louis Foster as one of three full-time drivers. But ovals? That was uncharted territory. INDYCAR hadn’t raced at Homestead since 2010, making the 1.5-mile track an ideal, low-pressure venue for a private test.

With gusty winds whipping across the asphalt and the track surface “green” from disuse, conditions were far from forgiving. Yet, that’s exactly what made it the perfect proving ground.

As the morning session kicked off, team co-owner Bobby Rahal, his son Graham—who shook down the car earlier—and new driver coach Ryan Briscoe were on hand to guide the German driver through the nuances of oval racing.

(L to R) Ryan Briscoe, Mick Schumacher and Bobby Rahal – Homestead-Miami Oval Test – By_ James Black/Penske Entertainment

Graham, a 19-season INDYCAR veteran, reflected on the moment: “Down here at Homestead today. Mick’s first oval test. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve been here, what, 15-16 years, something like that.” For Schumacher, the experience started with disorientation. “The orientation was a bit of a difficulty at the beginning—like kind of knowing what side of the track I’m on, which corner I was on at the moment,” he admitted. Unlike the twisting road and street courses he knew from F1, ovals demanded a different mindset: sustained high speeds, precise lines, and no braking into corners.

That last part hit hardest. “One of the weird parts was going into the corner without braking, which was a very new thing,” Schumacher explained. “Approaching the corner and still being pretty much flat out going into the corner without braking, and then bleeding off as you go into it is something I had to get used to.”

The team started conservatively, easing into setups since the series hadn’t visited Homestead in years. Early runs felt “weird and awkward,” but as adjustments clicked in, so did Schumacher’s comfort. He experimented with high and low lines, probing the track’s limits to build intuition before the multi-car chaos of upcoming tests.

By day’s end, Schumacher had logged 97 laps, hitting a top speed of 194 mph—a solid benchmark for a rookie on his first oval outing. Tire management was key; with only four sets available, every run counted.

“Because the track was so green, we had to be very specific with what we wanted to do in the runs,” he noted. The wind added unpredictability, but it only heightened the learning curve. “The weather is great, and conditions are a bit tricky with the wind blowing and being gusty. It was a good place to start off and have your first experience.”

Mick Schumacher – Homestead-Miami Oval Test – By_ James Black/Penske Entertainment

Schumacher’s enthusiasm shone through. “It’s fun,” he said simply, echoing the sentiment of a driver rediscovering the joy of racing. He found the limit “pretty early” but emerged unscathed, building confidence lap by lap.

“Towards the end, I felt like I was in a very good spot in terms of confidence and how I was approaching the corners.” Still, he knows the real challenges lie ahead: drafting in traffic, navigating “dirty air,” and the intensity of pack racing. “I’m very curious to see how it’s going to be with the other cars on track and feel that dirty air and the wash out that we’ll get from that. Lots to learn still.”

The test wasn’t just about laps; it was a puzzle piece in Schumacher’s broader preparation. “I think we’re putting all of the puzzles together,” he reflected. “So far already, in the first day, I didn’t think we were going to be that far ahead of what I expected our starting point was going to be, but we’re definitely on a good track toward having everything sorted for the first race.”

That opener? The streets of St. Petersburg in March, but first comes a team test at Sebring International Raceway on February 9-10, followed by the open oval test at Phoenix Raceway on February 17-18—where Schumacher will finally mix it up with the full field.

As the sun set over Homestead, Schumacher stepped out of the car with a smile, declaring it “a great day.” The team had accomplished everything on the checklist, and the rookie felt prepared—though humbly aware of the road ahead.

“By no means am I at the point where I can say I’m very confident with everything, but we’re chipping away at things.”

Mick Schumacher Smiling – Homestead-Miami Oval Test – By_ James Black/Penske Entertainment

For RLL, it’s a promising start to 2026, blending legacy with fresh talent. And for Schumacher, it’s proof that the Schumacher name isn’t fading—it’s evolving, one high-speed oval turn at a time.