Rely Rinus VeeKay among the many shortlist of proficient drivers within the IndyCar Sequence with out particular plans for 2025.
The 23-year-old Dutchman is within the ultimate 12 months of his contract with Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR), the one group he has referred to as house since leaping into North America’s premier open-wheel championship in 2020.
The early a part of their relationship collectively appeared to point out promise, with VeeKay scoring the only real profession win on the Indianapolis Highway Course in 2021, which was solely his nineteenth begin. Robust outcomes, nevertheless, have been a battle as a regression has been in play ever since.
Final 12 months solely featured two top-10s, together with a finest end of sixth at Portland. Whereas the flashes of improved tempo – and VeeKay has taken on extra of a management function – have been on show this 12 months, it has nonetheless been powerful sledding as one of the best consequence to date was an eighth within the season-opening spherical on the Streets of St. Petersburg.
With VeeKay within the midst of a contract 12 months, and this previous week that includes one domino falling as Arrow McLaren introduced a mutual parting of how with Alexander Rossi and changing him with present Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Christian Lundgaard for 2025, the query was posed in a Friday media availability to Veekay on the place issues stand with him past this season.
“I’m going to be a free agent on the finish of the 12 months,” VeeKay stated. “I’m coming to the top of my contract.
“It’s at all times a bit fascinating, I really feel like I’m off sequence with a lot of the subject this 12 months with driver contracts and when issues open up.
“To me, nothing modifications. I would like to point out tempo and outcomes. We haven’t actually had the luck this 12 months. I’m in the identical state of affairs I’ve been in for the final 5 seasons.
“I wish to present one of the best of myself. I at all times wish to deal with driving. I’ve been in a number of contract years, free agent years, I at all times really feel prefer it makes me sharper as a result of I really want to point out myself.
“I really want to point out what I’m able to. It provides me another excuse to focus extra and actually anticipate essentially the most out of myself and the group.”
Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
Photograph by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Images
Contemplating how lengthy he has been with ECR, would he favor a change of surroundings with a brand new alternative versus returning and persevering with to try to elevate the group from its present depths?
“I have to look it up,” VeeKay stated. “I’m a loyal driver to the group.
“I feel we’ve helped one another in each methods in each instructions. After all, I’m exploring what I can do inside the group and what my choices are for subsequent 12 months additionally.
“I would like to have a look at the choices on the surface to see if my profession can progress at a faster charge someway; after all that’s what each driver would do. It feels late into the season with some dominos falling proper now, however nonetheless it’s fairly early.
“All I can do proper now’s to point out one of the best I can do with the automotive and that’ll assist me (and) it’ll assist the group. And afterward I’ll see what the choices are later this season.”
Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
Photograph by: Brett Farmer / Motorsport Images
VeeKay additionally acknowledged the features made by the group this 12 months, however famous how the outcomes haven’t supplied something deserving to match the velocity.
“I imply, we’ve had loads higher tempo than final 12 months, I really feel like, with race tempo,” VeeKay stated. “We’ve simply been so unfortunate.
“We’ve had loads of mechanicals. Final (race) weekend, we had a gearbox fail and the weekend earlier than we had a left-front suspension fail at Highway America. So, we’ve had one thing occurring every time, which more often than not has been out of the group’s arms; racing vehicles break generally. In order that’s been unfortunate.
“I really feel like that is actually a midway a part of the season, normally you see drivers worsen all through the season from this race on, particularly with the hybrid… I feel we’ve the tempo and the information proper now to be across the high 10 extra typically and transfer up within the championship.”
Whereas VeeKay presently sits seventeenth within the championship standings with two top-10s, the No. 21 entry he drives is 18th (with the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet’s driver rotation outcomes slotting it larger), which he famous is considerably decrease than at another level throughout his tenure with ECR.
“I feel the automotive, the entry, is now 18th within the championship; that’s most likely the worst we’ve ever been,” stated VeeKay, who has a finest championship end of twelfth (twice – 2021, 2022).
“Velocity-wise we’re good, however results-wise, we actually want to maximise these races.”
