IndyCar driver Rinus VeeKay has announced his departure from Ed Carpenter Racing, leaving him without a team for the upcoming season.

VeeKay has had a notable tenure at ECR, joining the team in 2020 and racing with them for four years. Confirming the news to social media, VeeKay wrote:

“A big ‘thank you’ to everyone that sent me kind messages over the past few days.

“I also want to thank Ed Carpenter Racing for giving me the opportunity and support during the last 5 years…

“We had some excellent success together, but as happens in racing, we had some challenges too…but most importantly we always gave the maximum and had fun…with a great team spirit…

“Now that my contract with ECR has come to an end, I am excited about the future and know that I have my best racing years ahead of me.”

The 2024 season saw VeeKay secure a fifth-place finish in the first race at Iowa and achieve six additional top-10 finishes, culminating in a 13th place in the overall championship standings with 300 points.

The Dutch driver reflected on his last race of the season, and with the team, commenting on social media:

“Awesome season finale yesterday. We were quick all race but the yellows fell at the worst time to make our strategy work. Can’t control what you can’t control. Time for some rest now!”

VeeKay’s departure leaves him alongside other notable drivers who are currently free agents, including Alexander Rossi and Linus Lundqvist. Additionally, Logan Sargeant, a former Formula 1 driver with Williams, is confirmed to test with Meyer Shank Racing.

The announcement of VeeKay’s exit coincides with significant structural changes within the IndyCar series, most notably the establishment of a long-awaited charter system. This new system is set to impact team dynamics and the driver market, potentially influencing where VeeKay and other free agents might land for future races.

Spanish driver Alex Palou celebrated the IndyCar Championship win this year followed by Colton Herta and Scott McLaughlin.

2024 IndyCar Driver Championship Results

1. Alex Palou – 544
2. Colton Herta – 513
3. Scott McLaughlin – 505
4. Will Power – 498
5. Pato O’Ward – 460
6. Scott Dixon – 456
7. Kyle Kirkwood – 420
8. Josef Newgarden – 401
9. Santino Ferrucci – 367
10. Alexander Rossi – 366
11. Christian Lundgaard – 312
12. Felix Rosenqvist – 306
13. Rinus VeeKay – 300
14. Marcus Armstrong – 298
15. Marcus Ericsson – 297
16. Linus Lundqvist – 279
17. Romain Grosjean – 260
18. Graham Rahal – 251
19. Pietro Fittipaldi – 186
20. Sting Ray Robb – 185
21. Kyffin Simpson – 182
22. Christian Rasmussen – 163
23. Nolan Siegel – 154
24. David Malukas – 148
25. Jack Harvey – 143
26. Conor Daly – 119
27. Agustin Canapino – 109
28. Theo Pourchaire – 91
29. Katherine Legge – 61
30. Tom Blomqvist – 46
31. Ed Carpenter – 45
32. Toby Sowery – 45
33. Callum Ilott – 39
34. Luca Ghiotto – 27
35. Helio Castroneves – 26
36. Kyle Larson – 21
37. Takuma Sato – 19
38. Tristan Vautier – 12
39. Juri Vips – 11
40. Colin Braun – 10
41. Hunter McElrea – 6
42. Ryan Hunter-Reay – 6
43. Marco Andretti – 5