Schumacher opens up on his IndyCar reality check

For Mick Schumacher, the move across the pond was more than just a change of scenery—it was a leap into the deep end. After his first few races in IndyCar, the German driver has offered an honest assessment.

Despite years of experience in Formula 1 and winning the Formula 2 championship, Mick realised that things work differently in the United States. His takeaway after the first two races: “I thought I was ready, but I wasn’t.”

Even before the actual start of the first race in St. Petersburg, he faced unexpected challenges. Anyone accustomed to the strict order of the European Formula world experiences a veritable culture shock in the IndyCar Series.

Fans have access to the pre-start area—which in the U.S. is located in the pit lane—and were therefore standing right next to his car. The grid is bustling with activity everywhere. “It was very different,” said Schumacher in his latest YouTube video. “Cars were already there in pit lane. People are surrounding the car, a lot of people itself and I didn’t really know what to do. So, I was walking around trying to find my car and find my crew. It took me a while, but I ended up having more time than I thought I would originally.

But it wasn’t just the atmosphere that was new. He also had to adjust to the imperial system. While everything in Europe is measured in kilometers and Celsius, Mick had to get used to miles, PSI, and Fahrenheit in the blink of an eye. “That was the hardest part,” he said with a laugh.

Schumacher didn’t have much to say about the race, as he only made it four turns before he was collected in an accident. “It was a very short race, but nonetheless, we learned a great amount and that is what was key to us — it’s that we take as much experience away from each weekend.”

The tough school of ovals

Pit stop botched! Mick Schumacher loses lead lap in Phoenix

Photo by: Penske Entertainment

Of course, the second race weekend in Phoenix left the biggest impression because it was Schumacher’s oval debut. While qualifying on the short oval went quite well with a fourth-place grid spot, the race brought a quick reality check when he was overtaken by a whole string of competitors in the opening laps.

Schumacher quickly learned that a fast lap alone on an oval is worthless with how easy it is to move back-and-forth through the field. “I tried to be open-minded and I tried to be ready for everything, but I wasn’t ready for this. That was very hectic, a lot of cars coming left and right — especially at the start. But once I found my groove, things started to become a bit better.

Once he had settled into around tenth place, things started to click, before a faulty impact wrench during a mid-race pit stop sent him back.

Ultimately, though, this must be viewed positively, because the learning curve was immense. Together with his driver coach Ryan Briscoe, he analysed the mistakes immediately. “’If you came back and just did the race over again with all the experience you’ve just gained, you’d do a lot of things differently,’ Briscoe told him. “And that’s true. I’d do a lot of things different. And that’s good to know for the next time when we head to a short oval.

Of course, the public pressure is immense. Especially with the fourth starting position, Schumacher may have fuelled false expectations for this early phase of his IndyCar career. “Yes, there will be people putting a lot of pressure on me,” admitted Schumacher. “Pressure is part of my life. And I always feel that the greater the pressure, the better I’ve become. And ultimately, no one will be able to put more pressure on me than I can on myself.”

The steep learning curve is necessary, because the biggest race is already looming just ahead with the 110th running of the Indy 500. After the experience on the short track in Phoenix, there are no more oval races before Indianapolis. Entirely new challenges await at the 2.5-mile speedway.

But before that, there are still two races on permanent circuits: Barber Motorsports Park and the Indianapolis road course race—more familiar territory for the 27-year-old.

“The most important thing for me is that I’m getting more and more comfortable every time i get into the car, and things starts to become natural and effortless,” added Schumacher.

“So that I no longer have to think about what I’m doing, but only about what we need to do to make the car faster … We obviously want to be at the top, that’s where everybody wants to be. It’s a hugely competitive championship as a whole, and we want to make sure we keep grinding so we can end up consistently up there.”