Mick Schumacher will be getting behind the wheel of an IndyCar in Indianapolis – Ralf Schumacher is critical of the risks involved and recalls his own experiences at the “Brickyard.”
Mick Schumacher will be testing in the IndyCar series on October 13. The son of record world champion Michael Schumacher will drive a Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car for the first time in Indianapolis. For his uncle Ralf Schumacher, the decision is understandable—even if he cannot wholeheartedly approve of it. “I haven’t spoken to Mick myself,” says the six-time Grand Prix winner in the Backstage Boxengasse podcast. “But he apparently said that his heart is set on monoposto, i.e., Formula cars. That’s why he really wanted to try it out.”
Ralf Schumacher: “Personally, I don’t quite understand it”
At the same time, Ralf Schumacher is skeptical. “Personally, I don’t quite understand it because I think he’s in a great place where he is now and can have a great future,” he says, referring to Mick’s role as a factory driver for Alpine in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
He is particularly concerned about the risks of the IndyCar series, especially on the oval tracks. “I just think it’s too dangerous,” he says. “There have been many serious accidents in the past. If it were [my son] David, I would oppose it because it would simply be too dangerous for me.”
Bad experiences in Indy
Ralf Schumacher speaks from his own experience. During his active career, he competed in the US Grand Prix in Indianapolis, which was held on parts of the oval track there until 2007. “We had a tire blowout once and a tire failure once—both times I crashed into the wall,” he recalls.
His serious accident in 2004, which put him out of action for three months, has had a particular impact on his attitude. A year later, he crashed at the same spot during the disastrous weekend of 2005, but was uninjured.
“We’re talking about an average speed of over 360 km/h on an oval track like that. A former teammate of mine, Robert Wickens, was also hit there – he’s driving again today, but he’s paraplegic,” warns the now winemaker, who is currently best known to the public for various advertising clips for a car sales platform.
The Schumacher name is an asset
Ralf Schumacher also knows that the switch from Formula 1 to the IndyCar series can work. “We saw that with Romain Grosjean,” he says. At the same time, he sees alternatives: “The new LMDh category is mega interesting with manufacturers such as Ferrari, BMW, Cadillac, and Alpine—and almost even more exciting because you get to travel worldwide and not just in America.”
Nevertheless, Ralf Schumacher emphasizes that he can understand the fascination. “Mick really likes being in America, and it would also bring him closer to his sister. That all speaks in favor of it.” And for the IndyCar series itself, the test would be a win anyway: “The Schumacher name would of course be an upgrade,” he says.
However, his personal opinion remains clear: “This idea of oval racing at an average speed of 360 km/h and contact with free-standing wheels – I don’t really get it. But rule number one in motorsport is: everyone does their own thing.”
