At the recent NTT IndyCar Series practice in St. Petersburg, Florida, Mick Schumacher marked a promising start by completing the highest number of laps among the 25-car field. The 2020 Formula 2 Champion completed 37 laps on the 14-turn, 1.8-mile street circuit, recording a fastest lap time of 1:2.1707 with an average speed of 104.229 mph. Schumacher ended the session in 23rd place, trailing Scott McLaughlin’s fastest time by just over one second.
Schumacher Reflects on His First Practice Experience
In his debut practice session, Schumacher found the limited track time unusual but valuable.
“It’s weird to only have one session, on this day at least,”
Schumacher commented in a team statement. He expressed optimism about the upcoming sessions, noting that the team extracted useful insights by driving continuously and benefiting from extra rookie practice time. He concluded,
“We’re going to keep working on it and try to improve the little bits and pieces here and there that we need to, but I think for a start, it was pretty okay.”
Insight Into Schumacher’s Technical Support Team
Schumacher’s race engineer, Mike Pawlowski, brings extensive experience to the team, including past roles guiding notable drivers like Kyle Larson and Simon Pagenaud. Pawlowski acknowledged some initial challenges aligning strategies with Schumacher but praised his rookie driver’s progress.
“It was pretty good from [Schumacher’s] perspective, from my perspective, we were a little clunky trying to get everybody on the same page,”
Pawlowski said. He also added that Schumacher met all his initial goals despite not achieving the desired speed, noting his own efforts to optimize the car’s setup for upcoming sessions.
Pawlowski further recognized the driver’s valuable technical feedback, saying,
“The feedback was very good. He was giving feedback on the balance of the car and the braking effect of the tires. Everything was good.”
Upcoming Sessions and Expectations for the Weekend
The IndyCar paddock will return to action with a second practice scheduled for Saturday morning at 9:35 a.m. ET, followed by qualifying later that afternoon at 4:35 p.m. ET. These sessions will provide critical opportunities for Schumacher and his team to refine their performance ahead of the race weekend, building on the solid foundation established during the initial run.
Significance of Schumacher’s Entry into IndyCar
Mick Schumacher’s transition from Formula 2 champion to IndyCar rookie carries notable implications for the series and his career trajectory. Working alongside seasoned professionals like Mike Pawlowski, Schumacher is gaining crucial experience in a highly competitive environment. His performance during the first practice session, highlighted by consistent laps and constructive feedback, sets an encouraging tone as he adapts to the challenges of American open-wheel racing. The developments throughout this weekend will be closely watched by fans and experts eager to see how he capitalizes on his promising start.
Practice one under the belt ✅ pic.twitter.com/ULflt0yl3N
— Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (@RLLracing) February 27, 2026
