Former Red Bull junior starlet Juri Vips has been handed a racing lifeline as he prepares to drive the No.75 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda machine at the IndyCar Grand Prix of Portland.
The 24-year-old Estonian was one of the brightest prospects in the Red Bull junior team stable and even made his Grand Prix weekend debut at the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, replacing Max Verstappen for the first practice session.
However, his career prospects were dealt a hammer blow when he was caught using a racial slur during a gaming livestream with fellow Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson. The Estonian was promptly sacked by his team, bringing an end to his hopes of an F1 seat.
Vips spent most of the 2023 season in the motorsport wilderness before successful private tests led to a lifeline in IndyCar. The former Red Bull prodigy replaced Jack Harvey for the final two rounds of the season, impressing Rahal Letterman Lanigan chiefs in the process.
Most expected Vips to land a full-time drive with the team in 2024, but they signed Pietro Fittipaldi instead. However, the 24-year-old now has another shot at redemption, driving a fourth Rahal Letterman Lanigan entry at the upcoming race in Portland.
“I’m very grateful to the team for giving me this opportunity,” he 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.”
Co-owner Bobby Rahal added to those comments, noting: “We’re pleased to be able to run Juri in Portland for a number of reasons. 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.”
