Takuma Sato made the move from Formula 1 to IndyCar, and he’s here to help young drivers like Mick Schumacher do the same.
For drivers raised on the precise, sprint-like intensity of an F1 Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 can feel like an entirely different beast — and few understand that distinction quite as well as two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato.
Ahead of the 2026 Indianapolis 500, Sato sat down with media to discuss exactly what it takes to win a race this challenging, and he took some time to offer advice to his rookie teammate at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Mick Schumacher.
Responding to a question from Motorsport Week, Sato initially claimed that “there is no advice!” adding: “I think anyone who is interested — like Fernando [Alonso] — it’s a guarantee you would love it. It’s a different type of racing, but anyone who loves racing, there’s no question; we can enjoy the Indy 500 for sure.”
Yet as the round-table continued, multiple hints of the two-time 500 winner’s advice began to shine through.
The first time a driver competes at the Indy 500, he told us, “You just never understand. You won’t.
“This is a race, a 500-mile race, and you have seven or eight pit stops, which you never have in your life. And the conditions, as well, starting at 1pm and finishing at 3pm — or sometimes starting at 3pm and finishing at 5 or 6. They’re variable conditions. The car never feels the same between the first stint and the last stint.
“Slowly, you have to build a car. It’s become one of the tools; to be able to attack aggressively, you really need to understand the car, and it takes time when you’re in your rookie year. You would never be able to understand that.
“That’s why I think experience is coming in handy.”
Takuma Sato has handed Indy rookies making the transition from F1, such as Mick Schumacher, advice on how to do so successfully
Schumacher ‘doing an extremely good job’ in maiden IndyCar campaign – Sato
Sato’s early experiences at the Indianapolis 500 are proof of that: He racked up a 20th, a 33rd, a 17th, two 13th, a 19th, and a 26th before he secured his first Indy 500 victory back in 2017. It was only on his eighth attempt that he began to feel like he’d gained the experience required to manage an event for the full 500 miles. Now, he can articulate exactly where he needs to be during every stint of the race in order to have a chance at victory.
This year, Sato was one of four drivers represented by the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team; one of the other members of that Honda-powered outfit was former F1 driver Mick Schumacher, himself in his rookie year.
“I’m talking to Mick every day,” Sato told media, including Motorsport Week. “Even 15 minutes ago, we debriefed the car. We share information together and try to support Mick as much as we can.
“But as we said earlier, in your rookie [year], it is very difficult to understand everything. Unless you’ve experienced it, it’s hard to explain.”
That being said, Sato praised former Haas F1 driver Schumacher’s skill behind the wheel.
“Mick is doing an extremely good job. I think he’s coping very well,” Sato said.
“Very small mistakes so far, and that’s made him a lot more confident in the race. And hopefully he can pick up a lot more in the race and come towards the front.”
Indeed, Schumacher’s performance was strong enough to net him the coveted Rookie of the Year honors, courtesy of his 18th-place finish.
And he could have had an even stronger finish had it not been for one major mistake at the end of the race. Schumacher was running in the top five on lap 196 of 200 when he ran wide in Turn 1 and brushed the outside wall. Though his car was relatively unscathed, Schumacher’s run-in brought out the final caution of the day and set up the thrilling one-lap dash to the finish that saw eventual victor Felix Rosenqvist outshine Marcus Ericsson and David Malukas. Meanwhile, the rookie was able to recover and continue to finish on the lead lap.
If Sato is right and experience only increases a driver’s ability to perform well at Indianapolis, then things are looking strong for Mick Schumacher’s future at the 500.
READ MORE – Former F1 racer Takuma Sato on the strategy to win the Indy 500
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