Tristan Vautier made his return to the IndyCar paddock after a seven-year absence. The French driver was back behind the wheel of an IndyCar on Friday, driving the #51 Dale Coyne Racing Honda through the streets of Detroit.
Vautier received the news earlier in the week that he would have the opportunity to compete in the single-seater series once again. With very little time to prepare, the 34-year-old driver did his best to feel comfortable and set a fast time in his first session on the challenging circuit. However, he ended the day at the bottom of the standings, just behind Jack Harvey.
In an interview, Vautier described the difficulty of the task ahead of him. Even something as simple as getting used to the size of the car he was sitting in proved to be a challenge. Due to the limited time available, he had to learn as he raced during the race weekend.
Vautier expressed his gratitude to Dale Coyne for giving him another opportunity. He mentioned their successful partnership in 2015, where they finished fourth in Detroit. Since then, they had always joked about the possibility of working together again. Vautier fought hard for another chance and thanked Coyne for remembering their past success and putting him back in the car.
In previous years, Vautier competed in 31 IndyCar races, with his last non-oval races happening in 2015 with DCR. His best position in the series was a fourth place in Detroit, although that particular circuit is no longer used. While matching that performance this weekend may be nearly impossible, Vautier sees his return to IndyCar as an achievement and hopes to continue building on it as he evaluates his career week by week.
Currently, the Vautier agreement is for a single race with Dale Coyne Racing. After serving as a reserve driver at Le Mans, he will be available for more IndyCar events if called upon.
