Tristan Vautier was behind the wheel of an IndyCar on Friday for the first time since 2017, and was immediately tasked with wheeling the #51 Dale Coyne Racing Honda around the streets of Detroit.
Vautier was given the news earlier in the week that he would be able to try his hand at the open wheel series once again, which gave him next to no time to prepare.
The 34-year-old did his best to get settled and set a fast time in his first session on the tricky course, but ended the day just behind Jack Harvey at the bottom of the standings.
He described afterwards how difficult the task ahead of him is, and that even learning to feel out how big the car is that he is sitting in has proven to be a challenge.
Because he only had a couple days to get into town and complete a seat fit, he is having to feel out the car on the fly during the race weekend.
“We always kept a very good relationship with Dale [Coyne],” explained Vautier. “We had a good second half of the season in 2015 together where we were fourth in Detroit.
“I think we always had a bit of a feeling of unfinished business after that good race in Texas in 2017 where it was really good till we got caught out in kind of a group accident.
“Since then we always kind of joked about the fact he might arise. Dale always says, ‘You never know.’
“This year there was quite a rotating drivers on the second car. I pushed really hard for him to give me another shot. Yeah, thanks to him for having a long memory and putting me back in the car.”
Vautier has run 31 IndyCar races in previous years, with his last non-oval events taking place in a partial season run with DCR in 2015.
His best finish in the series came in Detroit in the form of a fourth place result, although that was on the Belle Isle course that is no longer in use.
Matching that performance this weekend is a nearly impossible task, but even getting his foot back in the door of IndyCar is an accomplishment he hopes to build on as he evaluates his career weekend by weekend.
For now, his arrangement is for a single race with Dale Coyne Racing. After a trip to Le Mans as a backup driver, he would be available for more IndyCar events should he be asked.
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