Barely arrived at Dale Coyne, Rinus VeeKay offers himself a top 10

It's almost a tradition in IndyCar, the last seats for the 2025 season have been allocated at Dale Coyne Racing. A few weeks before the start of the 2025 season in St. Petersburg, Florida, Jacob Abel and Rinus VeeKay have been confirmed as the team's two drivers this year. The first two, we would be tempted to add, given the succession of profiles in the team's two single-seaters in 2024. No fewer than nine drivers raced for Dale Coyne Racing last year, a peculiarity that cannot be repeated this season. The new franchise agreements prohibit a team from entering more than three drivers in the same car over the year, and Coyne's two single-seaters are concerned.

Arriving at the last minute, Rinus VeeKay could legitimately not expect much in terms of results. However, for this first of the season, the Dutchman placed his Dallara-Honda in Q2, before finishing in ninth position. We had to go back to the Portland event in 2023 to find a trace of a Dale Coyne car in the top 10. David Malukas had finished in eighth position that day. Given the late nature of the implementation of the project for 2025, the former ECR driver was logically satisfied when he got out of the car. The fact of having finished just ahead of his replacement Alexander Rossi is certainly not going to displease him either…

"We had a good race, without taking too many risks", he explained to Frontstretch. "We added a good strategy and above all a fast car, I think we have the second fastest lap of the race! The team did a very good job, especially because the whole team of the #18 car got into position very late, just before the start of the season. The pace was good, our car was degrading the tires a little too much but that didn't stop us from having a great race and I'm very happy with what we did. I have to thank Dale, the whole team and Honda, for the way they welcomed me into this program."

A ninth place which has “a taste of victory”

VeeKay, who made his IndyCar debut in 2020, has in fact competed all his seasons so far with a Chevrolet engine in his back. The Dutchman won in 2021 on the road course of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Now with Honda, the 24-year-old driver managed to maintain his position throughout the race. However, the pressure was high, with many drivers behind him on a different fuel strategy.

“The hardest part was driving while looking in the mirrors for most of the race. I stopped a little earlier than the others so they could attack and save less fuel. I had to save and keep the other cars behind me so it wasn’t easy, but this ninth place feels like a victory for the whole team.”

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