Red Bull Driver Finds Racing Opportunity In IndyCar After Being Sacked

Saajan Jogia | Aug 13, 2024

Sep 8, 2023; Salinas, California, USA; Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Juri Vips (30) of Estonia during free practice at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Former Red Bull junior driver Juri Vips finds a second chance in the IndyCar series in Portland next month with Rahal Letterman Lanigan. The 23-year-old Estonian was ousted from Red Bull in 2022 after he uttered offensive remarks during a live gaming stream.

He was competing for Hitech Grand Prix in Formula 2 and served as a test and reserve driver for Red Bull, supporting Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. However, following an incident that Red Bull deemed unacceptable, the team swiftly terminated his contract. The decision was grounded in the team's zero-tolerance stance on racism, which they reaffirmed in their official statement.

In the two years since, Vips has transitioned to IndyCar, where he is poised for another significant opportunity. He previously raced for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at Portland and Laguna Seca last year. During his debut in Portland, he started and finished in 18th place, setting the stage for further development in his IndyCar career.

Before making his debut last year, Vips first tested an IndyCar with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at Sebring in October 2022. He followed this with another test at Barber Motorsports Park on March 12, 2023. Since then, he has been part of RLL’s driver roster, performing simulator testing. As reported by Crash.net, team owner Bobby Rahal said in a statement:

“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.”

Vips marks the fourth entry in Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Racing alongside teammates Christian Lundgaard, Pietro Fittipaldi, and Graham Rahal. He will pilot the team’s #75 Honda-powered AMADA at the Oregon track. Talking about the opportunity, Vips said in a statement:

“I’m very grateful to the team for giving me this opportunity.

“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.”