French driver Vautier, aged 34, will drive the No. 51 car powered by Honda for Dale Coyne Racing (DCR) on the tight and challenging street circuit in Detroit, which is 1.645 miles long with nine turns. Vautier hasn’t raced in the IndyCar Series since 2017 when he substituted for Sebastien Bourdais at Texas Motor Speedway and finished 16th.
The last time he raced in Detroit with DCR was during a doubleheader weekend at nearby Belle Isle. He finished 17th in the first race and achieved his best result of fourth place in the nightcap. Vautier has competed in 31 IndyCar races, including 12 with Dale Coyne Racing.
“I’m very happy to be returning to the NTT IndyCar Series and Dale Coyne Racing this weekend,” Vautier said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in an Indy car but I’m very much looking forward to getting back behind the wheel this weekend and to be discovering the Detroit track.
Coming back to Dale Coyne Racing is like coming back to family and I want to thank Dale and Falcon Motorsport for giving me this opportunity.”
In recent years, Vautier has found success in sports car racing, participating in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the European Le Mans Series (ELMS).
In 2021, he helped lead JDC-Miller MotorSports to victory in the 12 Hours of Sebring. The following year, he achieved two podium finishes with the team at the 24 Hours of Daytona, claiming third place, and the 12 Hours of Sebring, finishing second.
Vautier will have his first practice session for the Detroit round on Friday, May 31 at 3 pm ET, followed by qualifying on Saturday, June 1 at 12:45pm ET. The Detroit Grand Prix will commence on Sunday, June 2 at 12:45 pm ET, with coverage starting at Noon ET on USA Network.
