MICK SCHUMACHER is eyeing a shock switch to IndyCar.
The German racer, the son of legendary seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher, last raced in F1 back in 2022 for Haas.
GettyMick Schumacher is competing in an IndyCar test as he eyes a potential series switch[/caption]
ReutersThe iconic motorsport series was too much danger for Mick’s father, Michael Schumacher[/caption]
Since then he has switched series to drive for Alpine in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
However, the 26-year-old now has his sights set across the Atlantic in the form of IndyCar series.
It was announced last month that Schumacher would drive for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in a test at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Monday October 13.
By doing so, he will be breaking ground that not even his father Michael, or four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen, dared to cross.
The oval circuit has an official top speed record of 236.986mph set by Arie Luyendyk in 1996, which is faster than F1’s own record top speed of 234.9 mph set by Valtteri Bottas set in 2016.
Additionally the Indianapolis 500 is raced over 500 miles and without power steering – an element crucial for helping drivers in F1.
Schumacher Sr said of competing in the Indy500: “At the speed at which you drive so close to the walls, the chassis cannot possibly survive an accident unscathed.
“This means that you can suffer serious injuries to your legs or even worse consequences.
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“And I don’t see any point in that. I have nothing to prove there.”
F1 competed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway between 2000 and 2007, with the Ferrari icon winning five races there including four in a row between 2003 and 2006.
The year after he first retired from F1 in 2007, a young McLaren rookie by the name of Lewis Hamilton went on to win the race.
Verstappen recently earned his permit to drive around the Nurburgring Nordschleife and then won on his endurance racing debut around the track known as the “green hell”.
However, when asked about IndyCar the 28-year-old said: “The risk of a serious accident is simply high. When you crash into a wall at over 320km/h, it’s not funny.”
But Schumacher Jr is looking forward to his test drive.
AFPSchumacher Sr warned about the serious consequences of racing at the Indy 500[/caption]
GettyMax Verstappen said it was ‘not funny’ to consider crashing into a wall at 320kmph[/caption]
He said: “I am very much looking forward to driving my first IndyCar test.
“A big thank you to the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team for giving me this opportunity.
“The same goes for driving this car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time, a racetrack with a big history and that my dad has driven on before. I am excited to see which special features it holds.
“I am very curious to understand the special features and characteristics of this race car, which is different from the cars I am used to driving, yet similar, and I remain very interested in gaining experience in the diverse world of motorsport.
“Great to be able to see what it is all about and how difficult it is, since I hear a lot about how tough it is physically.
“It is not a secret that I am big fan of single-seater racing, after all, so this first IndyCar test will be an experience to treasure, and I am very much looking forward to driving a car where I can see my wheels.”
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