Nyck de Vries has sent a message of support to Juri Vips after it was announced that he will be making his return to IndyCar in Portland.
Vips was a former member of the Red Bull Driver Academy from 2018 to 2022 and had enjoyed a fairly successful junior career, which included a second place finish at the Macau Grand Prix in 2019.
Vips was in his second season in Formula 2 at the time with Hitech Grand Prix and he went on to finish 11th that season with one win and five total podiums before being axed by Red Bull, having finished sixth the year prior.
The 23-year-old also served as the test and reserve driver for both Red Bull and their junior team AlphaTauri in Formula 1, taking part in an FP1 session in Spain in 2022.
Nyck de Vries sends message to Juri Vips as he looks set for his IndyCar return
Since his departure from Red Bull and Formula 2, Vips has gone on to the States to compete in the IndyCar series.
The Estonian joined the series with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) for the final two races of the 2023 season in place of Jack Harvey.
Vips finished 18th on his debut at the Grand Prix of Portland, winning the rookies race, and 24th at the final round at Laguna Seca, ending the season 33rd overall with 18 points.
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The 23-year-old was not given a full-time seat by the team for 2024, instead going for Pietro Fittipaldi, but RLL have announced that Vips will be back in an Indy car in the No. 75 entry in Portland, almost a year after his debut.
And on the team’s official Instagram account, de Vries shared a supportive message to Vips ahead of his IndyCar return, writing: “Happy for you my man.”
De Vries is looking to get back on top in his career
Vips is not the only one looking to get the momentum back in his career, as de Vries has had a difficult time in the last year.
The former Formula 2 and Formula E world champion was dropped by Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTauri in the 2023 Formula 1 season after just ten races following some lacklustre performances and results.
Since then, de Vries has returned to FE with Mahindra Racing and finished the 2023/24 season in 18th place after competing in 14 races.
The Dutchman is currently third in the World Endurance Championship in the Hypercar class alongside Kamui Kobayashi, with the pair claiming victory at the Six Hours of Imola.