MARKHAM, Ontario – Once Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing agreed to sell one of its three IndyCar charters to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing following the season, it became clear that one of RLL's three full-time drivers wouldn't return. Rookie Mick Schumacher won't return as a full-time driver while Graham Rahal and Louis Foster will stay with the team. On Aug. 7, Rahal reiterated that he'll return for a 15th season with the team and 21st year in IndyCar, saying, "I'll be here in '27 no matter what," ahead of the Grand Prix of Portland. Before the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham, Foster – who was IndyCar's Rookie of the Year in 2025 – confirmed the same. "I have a contract, so that helps," Foster said during Friday's media bullpen. "But yeah, I have been given an assurance (of a return)."
It was previously known that Rahal and Foster are under contract for 2027, although the team had not confirmed that Schumacher wouldn't be back. Now, the 27-year-old German must look for a new team in 2027. Schumacher is 24th in the IndyCar standings with five races to go, and he's currently 28 points behind Dale Coyne Racing's Dennis Hauger (20th) in the Rookie of the Year race. Schumacher, who won the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award, had his best result of the year two races ago when he finished eighth at the Music City Grand Prix. A day before that race, Schumacher – who drove in WEC in 2024 and 2025 after driving in Formula One in 2021 and 2022 – said, "The aim is for sure to be back" in IndyCar. Schumacher's rookie season has been less than ideal, with the Music City Grand Prix being his lone top-15 finish. After being taken out by Sting Ray Robb on the first lap of the season opener (and breaking his wrist in the process), the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the son of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher hasn't found a rhythm in IndyCar. With RLL downsizing, Schumacher's IndyCar career will have to continue elsewhere if he remains in the series. "As we evaluated the long-term direction of our organization, we made the strategic decision to return our full-time program to two cars beginning in 2027," RLL co-owner Bobby Rahal said in a news release when the charter sale was agreed upon. "We believe this positions our team to be able to maximize our level of competition while allowing us to focus our resources as we prepare for the introduction of the new car." Zion Brown is IndyStar's motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar's motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis. .oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why Mick Schumacher won’t drive for RLL in 2027 IndyCar season