Mick Schumacher Leaves Alpine: Is Indycar A Possibility for 2026?
It’s been confirmed that Mick Schumacher will leave Alpine’s Hypercar program and be a free agent for 2026. But there are lots of great reasons to believe we know what his next racing adventure will be: IndyCar. The German has already tested an IndyCar with Rahal, but is that where he’s heading?
The Rahal Proposition
Earlier, Mick Schumacher did an IndyCar test on the famous IMS road course, and he tested in a Rahal car. So the Rahal boys seem to be talking and have the biggest edge over everyone right now.
But should we still ask if it’s the right move? Their last win and top-ten points finish were in 2023 with Danish driver Christian Lundgaard. With franchise driver Graham Rahal being the only driver in 2025 to finish top twenty in points, squeaking in with a nineteenth-place finish.
Rahal has struggled mightily since the 2024 FBI raid, which most would be shocked if they didn’t, but for someone in Mick’s position, is it a good place to start his American open-wheel career?
Schumacher’s Legacy Will Be a Tough One to Beat
Mick Schumacher has shown how talented he is after his F1 struggles. Earning multiple podiums on a struggling Alpine Hypercar program and earning a runner-up finish in the Race of Champions.
He’s someone who can win races in the right car. And for that he should learn from a similar talent and an ex-F2 rival of his, Callum Ilott. The British driver has also shown tons of talent after finishing runner-up to Mick Schumacher in F2.
Such as earning a win with a struggling Jota program in the WEC and a 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Am class podium in 2021. He’s been in IndyCar for years now and started with a midpack team, Juncos Hollinger Racing.
Greatest Accomplishments
While he’s had great results, such as in 2023, when he finished fifth in both the opening and closing races of the season, most of the time he was hovering around or below the top fifteen most of the year.
So to most fans, he was totally anonymous. And that apathy resulted in him being on a midpack WEC team for a year and then returning to IndyCar with a better midpack team. He also did well.
But aside from his stints as a McLaren firefighter, he’s still looking for a top team to show off his talents with. So starting with a team going through such a low could put Mick Schumacher in a similar spot.
The Prema Racing Option
That better midpack team, Callum Ilott, is also an option for Mick Schumacher. That team is Prema Racing, based in Italy. Now, on paper, they aren’t all that much better than Rahal going off of 2025 alone.
As Graham Rahal beat both Prema cars in the points. But while Rahal is a team that’s been around and is in the middle of a decline, Prema is a brand-new face in IndyCar but has extensive motorsport experience.
Prema is racking up titles in the F2, F3, F1 Academy, Italian F3, Italian F4, E4, and Italian Formula Renault. Making them the Italian Penske of the junior categories, including titles they won with Mick Schumacher.
Winning the 2018 FIA F3 European and 2020 Formula 2 championships with the son of a seven-time F1 world champion. Obviously, giving them another huge edge, as they can bring people he’s familiar with. And it is an environment he’s already familiar with.
Not to mention, as a new team, they have nowhere to go but up. In its first-ever IndyCar season, it is already improving with all its top tens coming from the eighth race onwards. Ilott earned four of them in the final five races.
Final Thoughts
Mich Schumacher, being a Schumacher, brings significant funding to whatever team he signs with. Prema could use that funding to continue its improvement and make its way up the IndyCar ladder. Making it a win-win for everyone involved. Thanks a bunch for reading!
