The first lap pile-up at the IndyCar season opener in St Petersburg has had more serious consequences for Mick Schumacher than first expected.

Ever since he was caught up in the collision triggered by Sting Ray Robb, he has been battling pain in his left wrist. Due to the relentless IndyCar schedule, he plans to delay any surgery that may be required until the end of the season.

"Unfortunately, a piece of my wrist broke off during the crash in St Pete, and I’m still struggling with that,” the son of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher told Sky Germany. “It basically means I get out of the car in pain, which is obviously far from ideal.

"It will likely require an operation at the end of the year just to get everything back together. It’s definitely exhausting, and I’m having to rely a lot more on my right hand at the moment."

Hand and wrist injuries are a common problem in IndyCar, with several drivers having been affected in the past. Even Schumacher’s current driver coach, Ryan Briscoe, broke his wrist in a 2013 accident.

Schumacher’s transition to IndyCar has been a steep learning curve. While his fourth-place qualifying in Phoenix was a major highlight, his race results – a DNF and finishes of 18th, 22nd, 24th, and 17th – still leave room for growth.

Mick Schumacher, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

However, the German remains composed and isn't letting the outside noise get to him.

"To be honest, I haven’t been looking at the news at all,” he added. “I think that’s actually helpful; being so far away from everything over here means I don’t really have to listen to it.

“In the paddock, the reaction to what we’ve done so far has been quite positive, which actually surprised me a bit at first. I expected I’d have to shield myself from a bit of a shitstorm, but that wasn't the case.

“On the contrary, people seem happy with my approach. Personally, I’ve learned more from this than anything else. It’s okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from the things that didn’t go well. You just have to keep moving in the right direction to improve.

“Having a team behind you that truly pushes and supports you makes racing here a very special experience."

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