Juri Vips is set to make his IndyCar return Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) at the Grand Prix of Portland.
Ex-Red Bull junior Juri Vips is set to make his much-anticipated return to the NTT IndyCar Series, joining Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) for the Grand Prix of Portland on August 25, 2024.
The Estonian, who turns 24 just days before the race, previously competed in two IndyCar events for RLL in 2023, where he faced a steep learning curve. His debut at Portland International Raceway saw him finish 18th, while his second outing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca ended in disappointment after a multi-car crash left him in 24th place.
Despite these challenges, Vips demonstrated potential, qualifying seventh at Laguna Seca before an engine change forced him to start from 13th.
The race will mark a great opportunity for the Estonian driver, who is aiming to secure a full-time seat for the 2025 season after undergoing a challenging period in his racing career. His journey back to IndyCar follows a controversial exit from the Red Bull junior program in June 2022 after he used a racial slur during a live gaming session.
This incident effectively ended his role as a reserve driver for Red Bull Racing and prompted a reevaluation of his career path and ever since, Vips has focused on rebuilding his reputation and skills, culminating in this return to the IndyCar grid.
Vips has been actively involved with RLL since testing an IndyCar for the team in October 2022. His commitment continued throughout 2023 as he served as the team’s simulator driver, contributing to the development of the new hybrid systems which are set to be introduced in the series.
The young driver will drive RLL’s No. 75 Honda-powered entry at the 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course alongside team-mates Pietro Fittipaldi, Christian Lundgaard and Graham Rahal.
“I’m very grateful to the team for giving me this opportunity,” Vips said.
“I have been working closely with the team on the simulator program and it has been a year since I have been in the car, but I’m confident that the experience gained last year at Portland and Laguna Seca will help me to get up to speed quickly.
“It will still be a very big challenge and one I am very much looking forward to.”
Considering his impressive outings and with his work for the team behind the scenes, Vips become a favorite within the program as it looks to fill Christian Lundgaard’s spot as he switches to Arrow McLaren.
“We’re pleased to be able to run Juri in Portland for a number of reasons,” said RLL co-owner Bobby Rahal.
“For one, he showed at both Portland and Laguna Seca last year that he certainly has the pace to feature in any event he runs with us.
“He has done a lot of work for us in the simulator this year, which has helped us understand the hybrid system, so it’s nice to reward him for his effort. I’m hopeful that this will lead to more races for him with RLL.”
