Takuma Sato ‘strongly senses’ Michael Schumacher’s ‘DNA’ in Mick Schumacher ahead of Indy 500 debut
Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Takuma Sato gets the same impression from his Indy 500 teammate Mick Schumacher that he used to get from Michael Schumacher while they were rival Formula 1 drivers. Sato is one of the most legendary names in the modern history of the Indianapolis 500, after the Japanese hero won the race in 2017 for Andretti and 2020 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He will be making a one-off outing racing for RLL in 2026 in the Indy 500 on May 24.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing also gave Mick Schumacher his debut in the IndyCar Series in 2026, and his maiden Indy 500 is now on the horizon. The son of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher joined IndyCar after two years in the World Endurance Championship. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Takuma Sato thinks Mick Schumacher’s character is ‘just like his father’ Michael Schumacher Mick Schumacher has had a steady start to his IndyCar career, with his best finish so far P17 in the Grand Prix of Long Beach in April.
The 27-year-old former Haas F1 driver is even only 25th in the IndyCar standings through six rounds with 54 points to his name so far this year. READ MORE: What Michael Schumacher’s son is doing now four years after losing F1 seat Sato first met Mick Schumacher at the open test for the 2026 Indy 500 at the end of April, where he quickly gained a “strong sense” of Michael Schumacher’s “DNA” in the German. He thinks Mick’s character is “just like his father”, who he raced against in F1 in the 2000s.
Sato said, via quotes by Motorsport. com : “I can strongly sense his father’s DNA in him. “I was fortunate enough to have the wonderful experience of competing alongside Michael Schumacher.
But when I met and talked to Mick, the way he spoke gave me the impression of a person of great character, just like his father. “Of course, Mick wants to be treated as Mick, not Michael’s son, and we respect that. But I’m happy to have met him.