Sacked Red Bull driver gets motorsports lifeline in USA

Juri Vips, who was sacked as a Red Bull junior, has landed a new opportunity in motorsports.

He will race in IndyCar representing Rahal Letterman Lanigan at the Grand Prix of Portland in August.

Vips’ contract with Red Bull was terminated in 2022 after he said a racial slur while live streaming on Twitch.

He was the F1 team’s reserve driver, backing up Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, while racing in Formula 2 until his dismissal.

In the two years since, Vips has found a reprieve with IndyCar where he is set for another big chance.

Vips will race for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team for the third time, having also been behind the wheel in Portland and Laguna Seca last year. Last year in Portland, he started and finished 18th.

Vips will drive the No. 75 AMADA Honda this year.

He said: “I’m very grateful to the team for giving me this opportunity.

“I have been working closely with the team on the simulator program and it has been a year since I have been in the car, but I’m confident that the experience gained last year at Portland and Laguna Seca will help me to get up to speed quickly.

“It will still be a very big challenge and one I am very much looking forward to.”

Team co-owner Bobby Rahal said: “We’re pleased to be able to run Juri in Portland for a number of reasons.

“For one, he showed at both Portland and Laguna Seca last year that he certainly has the pace to feature in any event he runs with us.

“He has done a lot of work for us in the simulator this year, which has helped us understand the hybrid system, so it’s nice to reward him for his effort.

“I’m hopeful that this will lead to more races for him with RLL.”