Graham Rahal gives ‘satisfied’ update on Mick Schumacher’s IndyCar test and morale at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will be a formidable opponent at Indycar next year
Indianapolis, IN – As the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season draws to a close, whispers of seismic shifts in the paddock have grown louder, with one of the most intriguing developments centering on Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL). Graham Rahal, the veteran driver and son of team co-owner Bobby Rahal, recently shared an upbeat assessment of the team’s progress, including a promising first test for potential newcomer Mick Schumacher. Speaking in an exclusive interview with local outlet Wish-TV just over a week after welcoming his third child, daughter Fallon Ruth Rahal, into the world, Rahal expressed genuine satisfaction with the direction RLL is heading. “We’re fired up, man,” he said, his voice carrying the unmistakable enthusiasm of a racer sensing momentum. “We’ve been working awfully hard as a team, done a lot of development. Obviously, tested with Schumacher. You know, Mick, we’ll see what happens there, but certainly pleased with what went on. Overall, I’m very impressed with what the team’s doing.”
The timing of Rahal’s comments couldn’t be more poignant. Schumacher, the 26-year-old son of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher, turned heads on October 13 when he strapped into RLL’s No. 75 Honda for his maiden IndyCar outing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. The 2.439-mile layout holds special significance for the Schumacher family; Michael’s five victories there during the track’s F1 era from 2000 to 2007 add a layer of poetic symmetry to Mick’s exploratory laps. Absent from the session due to his wife’s impending delivery, Rahal followed the proceedings closely from the hospital, relying on feedback from teammates like 2025 Rookie of the Year Louis Foster, who was on hand to mentor the German driver.
Schumacher’s test wasn’t just a casual spin— it was a calculated audition for a potential full-time seat in 2026. Arriving fresh from his role as Alpine’s reserve in F1 and his ongoing commitments in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), where he’s scored points in the Hypercar class, Mick wasted no time adapting to the raw demands of an IndyCar. Lacking power steering—a stark contrast to the surgically precise F1 machinery he’s accustomed to— the car demands brute physicality and unflinching commitment. Yet, reports from the pit wall painted a picture of rapid acclimation. Schumacher topped the morning session with lap times brushing against the race pace from May’s Sonsio Grand Prix, where RLL’s trio of Rahal, Foster, and Devlin DeFrancesco had qualified second, third, and fifth, respectively, with Rahal leading a race-high 49 laps before settling for sixth.
“It’s a decision that lies with both sides,” Schumacher reflected post-test, his tone measured but optimistic. “We all have a couple of days and weeks to think about it and see what opportunities there are for the future. But so far, so good.” He elaborated on the allure of IndyCar’s 17-race calendar, a brisk itinerary that aligns with his hunger for wheel-to-wheel action at 26. “Frankly, it’s a great championship,” he added. “I’m still young, so I do want to race as much as I can, and I think the people here really live motorsports. I also like the mentality of the driver being the main part of the team and him driving the team forward.” Echoing sentiments from F1 veterans like Sebastien Bourdais and James Hinchcliffe, whom he’s crossed paths with in WEC, Schumacher dismissed concerns over oval racing’s risks—warnings even voiced by his uncle Ralf Schumacher—insisting he’d approach them with the same calculated bravery that defined his father’s career.
For RLL, Schumacher’s potential arrival represents more than just a high-profile signing; it’s a linchpin in an ambitious rebuild. The team, co-owned by Bobby Rahal (a three-time IndyCar champion and 1986 Indy 500 winner), late-night icon David Letterman, and industrialist Mike Lanigan, has endured lean years marked by inconsistency and near-misses. The 2025 season brought glimmers of revival: Foster’s Rookie of the Year honors, Rahal’s podium charge at Iowa, and DeFrancesco’s steady integration after mid-season lineup tweaks. Behind the scenes, investments have poured in—nearly doubling the engineering staff, onboarding ex-Formula 1 technical director Stefano Sordo, and appointing David Cripps as head of oval R&D. New partnerships, like the multi-year extension with innovation studio Droplight as primary sponsor for Foster’s No. 45 entry, underscore a commitment to sustainability and growth.
Rahal’s morale boost extends beyond the test. “Earlier this year, in the middle of the season, I shared that the team feels right on the cusp of something big in terms of performance,” he recalled. That cusp now feels tantalizingly close. Recent tests, including two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato’s evaluation of next-gen tires, brakes, and dampers at IMS earlier this month, have yielded positive data. Sato, who qualified second at the 109th Indy 500 despite a fractured rib, is “piecing together” a return for the 110th edition in 2026, potentially bolstering RLL’s oval expertise. With the 2026 schedule unveiling new challenges like street circuits in Arlington, Texas, and Markham, Ontario, the team’s road-course prowess—honed by Lundgaard’s 2023 Toronto triumph and Rahal’s IMS dominance—positions it as a dark horse.
Analysts are already buzzing about RLL’s trajectory. A Schumacher-Foster-Rahal lineup would blend European pedigree with American grit, challenging the dominance of Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Global. “This is an amazing opportunity for RLL to test an elite talent like Mick and bring two legendary motorsports families together,” noted team president Jay Frye pre-test. As negotiations simmer, Rahal’s satisfaction signals a team reborn. In a series where parity reigns but execution wins championships, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing isn’t just rebuilding—it’s reloading. Come March 1, 2026, at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, expect them to roar back into contention, Schumacher’s star power igniting a formidable assault on the grid. For IndyCar fans, the prospect is electric: a Schumacher revival stateside, scripted on the Brickyard where legacies are forged.
