Meet the 2018 IndyCar Rookies'

IndyCar Rookies

This Indy Lights team plans to run 9 IndyCar races this season, with 3 different drivers.

This sports car team plans to run 6 IndyCar races in their first season of IndyCar.

#26 Zach Veach

#20 Jordan King

#19 Pietro Fittipaldi

#19 Zachary Claman De Melo

#32 Kyle Kaiser

#80 Jack Harvey

#6 Robert Wickens

Matheus 'Matt' Leist Age 19 (Sep 8, 1998) Brazilian AJ Foyt Racing

Zach Veach Age 23 (Dec 9, 1994) American Andretti Autosport

Jordan King Age 23 (Feb 26, 1994) British Ed Carpenter Racing

Pietro Fittipaldi Age 21 (June 25, 1996) Brazilian Dale Coyne Racing

SERIES
Formula 3 Brazil Class B
Britian's MSA Formula
FIA European Formula 3
MRF Challenge Formula 3
BRDC British Formula 3
Indy Lights

FINAL
POSITION
2nd
5th
41st
14th
1st
4th

WINS
2
2
0
0
4
3

YEAR
2014
2015
2015
2015-16
2016
2017

SERIES

US F2000
US F2000
Indy Lights
Indy Lights
Indy Lights

Indy Lights
IndyCar

FINAL
POSITION

5th
4th
10th
7th
3rd

4th
33rd

WINS

0
1
0
0
3

3
0

YEAR

2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017

# OF
RACES
16
30
3
2
24
16

# OF
RACES

10 of 12
12 of 12
12 of 12
12 of 12
14 of 14

18 of 18
2 of 17

TEAM

Andretti Autosport
Andretti Autosport
Andretti Autosport
Andretti Autosport
Andretti Autosport

Belardi Auto Racing
Ed Carpenter & AJ Foyt

-------- Out due to hand injury ------------------------------------------------------------------

TEAM
Hitech Racing
Double R Racing
Double R Racing
MRF Racing
Double R Racing
Carlin

SERIES
Formula Palmer Audi
Formula Renault UK Winter
Formula Renault UK
MRF Formula 1600 India
FIA Formula 2
Formula Renault 2.0 NEC
Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0
Toyota Racing Series
FIA European Formula 3
British Formula 3
FIA European Formula 3
GP2 Series
GP2 Series
FIA Formula 2

FINAL
POSITION
23rd
15th
8th
1st
14th
2nd
13th
5th
6th
1st
7th
12th
7th
11th

WINS
0
0
0
4
0
1
0
1
0
3
0
0
2
0

YEAR
2010
2010
2011
2011
2011
2012
2012
2012
2013
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017

# OF
RACES
4
6
200
8
6
20
14
14
30
12
32
22
22
22

TEAM
MotorSport Vision
Manor Competition
Manor Competition
Team Sidvin
MotorSport Vision
Manor MP Motorsport
Manor MP Motorsport
M2 Competition
Carlin
Carlin
Carlin
Racing Engineering
Racing Engineering
MP Motorsport

King was also a test driver for the Manor Racing F1 team in 2015 & 2016.

SERIES
NASCAR Whelen All-American
NASCAR Whelen All-American
Protyre Formula Renault
Protyre Formula Renault Autumn
BRDC Formula 4
BRDC Formula 4 Winter
Protyre Formula Renault
Formula Renault 2.0 Alps
Eurocup Formula Renault 2. 0
FIA European Formula 3
MRF Challenge Formula 2000
Formula V8 3.5
World Series Formula V8 3.5

FINAL
POSITION
1st
5th
8th
6th
15th
6th
1st
9th
N/A guest
16th
1st
10th
1st

WINS
4
1
0
0
1
0
10
0
0
0
4
0
6

YEAR
2011
2012
2013
2013
2013
2013
2014
2014
2014
2015
2015-16
2016
2017

# OF
RACES
20
23
16
3
18
8
15
8
2
33
14
18
18

TEAM
Lee Faulk Racing
Lee Faulk Racing
Jamun Racing Services
Jamun Racing Services
MGR Motorsport
MGR Motorsport
MGR Motorsport
MGR Motorsport
Koiranen GP
Fortec Motorsports
MRF Racing
Fortec Motorsports
Lotus

Zachary Claman De Melo Age 19 (Apr 20, 1998) Canadian Dale Coyne Racing

SERIES
Indy Lights
Indy Lights
IndyCar

FINAL
POSITION
9th
5th
31st

WINS
0
1
0

YEAR
2016
2017
2017

# OF
RACES
18 of 18
16 of 16
1 of 17

TEAM
Juncos Racing
Carlin
Rahal Letterman

Kyle Kaiser Age 21 (Mar 5, 1996) American Juncos Racing

SERIES
Pro Mazda
Pro Mazda
Indy Lights
Indy Lights
Indy Lights

FINAL
POSITION
7th
6th
6th
3rd
1st

WINS
0
1
0
2
3

YEAR
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017

# OF
RACES
16 of 16
13 of 14
16 of 16
18 of 18
16 of 16

TEAM
World Speed Motorsports
Juncos Racing
Juncos Racing
Juncos Racing
Juncos Racing

Jack Harvey Age 24 (Apr 15, 1993) British Michael Shank Racing

SERIES
Formula BMW Europe
Formula BMW Europe
British Formula 3
British Formula 3
GP3
Indy Lights
Indy Lights
IndyCar

FINAL
POSITION
7th
2nd
9th
1st
5th
2nd
2nd
28th

WINS
1
7
7
7
2
4
2
0

YEAR
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2017

# OF
RACES
16
14
30
29
16
14
16
3

TEAM
Fortec Motorsport
Fortec Motorsport
Carlin
Carlin
ART Grand Prix
Schmidt Peterson Motorsport
Schmidt Peterson Motorsport
SPM and MSR w/Andretti

Meet the 2018

Robert Wickens Canadian Age 28 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports

SERIES
Formula BMW USA
Formula BMW USA
Formula Atlantic
A1 Grand Prix
Formula Renault 3.5
Formula 3 Euro
FIA Formula 2
GP3
Formula Renault 3.5
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters

FINAL
POSITION
3rd
1st
3rd
9th
12th
15th
2nd
2nd
1st
16th
5th
12th
13th
4th
9th

WINS
2
3
1
1
1
1
2
3
5
0
1
1
1
2
1

YEAR
2005
2006
2007
2007-08
2008
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017

# OF
RACES
14
14
12
14
17
14
16
16
17
10
10
10
18
18
18

TEAM
Team Apex Racing USA
Team Apex Racing USA
Red Bull/ Team Forsythe
A1 Team Canada
Formula Renault 3.5
Formula 3 Euro Series
FIA Formula 2
Status Grand Prix
Carlin Motorsport
Mucke Motorsport
HWA Team
HWA Team
HWA AG
Mercedes-Benaz DTM Team
Mercedes AMG

In 2011, was a test driver for Marussia Virgin Racing F1 Team

PREVIOUS RACE RECORD

PREVIOUS RACE RECORD

Matheus hails from Novo Hamburgo in Brazil. He began karting at a young age. He also enjoyed swimming, soccer and tennis.

Leist came up through the Brazilian karting ranks alongside his brother, Arthur, who won a SKUSA SuperNats title last year.
He graduated to race cars at the age of 15, and one year later traveled to England to drive for Double R Racing, a team originally
formed by Formula 1 star Kimi Räikkönen and his race manager, 1994 Indy Lights champ Steve Robertson.

After beating the Carlin team in a hard fought battle for the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship in 2016, Carlin hired Matheus
to compete in Indy Lights last year. Matheus won 3 races including the Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!
For 2018, AJ Foyt Racing replaces Conor Daly and Carlos Munoz with two Brazilians – Matheus and veteran Tony Kanaan.

Veach was discovered by Sarah Fisher and her father who helped jumpstart his career. He wrote a book for teens in 2010.
He also became a spokesman for distracted driving that year and was honored at the White House for his good efforts. Zach
struggled to break into the big time. These extra-curricular activities would show that Zach had the “right stuff” to the
Guggenheim Partners, who were instrumental in introducing Zach to Andretti Autosports, which led to a 3-year contract.
Besides auto-racing, Veach likes to rock climb.

Jordan King is the son of a former CEO of the 2nd largest grocery chain in Britian. He had hoped to be racing in Formula 1 by
2017. This Euro racer brings his talent stateside this year to race on all IndyCar road and street courses for the Ed Carpenter
Racing team. Like Zach Veach, he enjoys rock climbing.

The Fittipaldi name resonates with race fans across the globe. Emerson is the most famous, having won two F1 titles, a Indy
Car title and two Indy 500s. His older brother Wilson, jr. was also an F1 race car driver as well as a team owner. Wilson’s son
Christian made a name for himself, racing not only in F1 and IndyCar, but in Nascar. Now Pietro also has a race car brother –
Enzo. Emmo is their grandfather and Max Papis is their uncle. Pietro hopes to one day win a Formula 1 race for his
homeland, a feat that has been done 101 times, but not since Rubens Barrichello in 2009. Just a few months ago, Pietro was
liking his chances to land a ride in Formula 2. But the winds of fate for race car drivers can blow in unexpected directions and
Pietro is happy to have landed an IndyCar ride, even if he has to share it with another driver.

Zach went to a birthday party and they all went karting. He was really quick and so his dad bought him a go kart and that was
his start toward becoming a race car driver! This season he will share the racer with Pietro Fittipaldi.

René Binder Age 26 (Jan 1, 1992) Austrian Juncos Racing

#32 Rene Binder

Kaiser will race at Phoenix, Long Beach and both Indy races.

Binder will race at St Pete, Birmingham, Toronto and Mid-Ohio

PREVIOUS RACE RECORD

SERIES
GP2
GP2
GP2
World Series Formula V8 3.5
World Series Formula V8 3.5

FINAL
POSITION
23rd
25th
22nd
7th
4th

WINS
0
0
0
0
4

YEAR
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017

# OF
RACES
21 of 22
22 of 22
20 of 22
18 of 18
18 of 18

TEAM
Venezuela GP Lazarus
Arden International
Trident and MP Motorsport
Lotus
Lotus

Winning the Indy Lights Championship last year automatically won this young man a 3-race scholarship to compete in IndyCar,
including the Indy 500. Kaiser lives in Santa Clara and is enrolled at the University there.

Binder began karting in 2002. He is the nephew of former Formula 1 driver Hans Binder, and his father, Franz, was also a racing
driver. Perhaps as importantly, his family owns a large European lumber company - Binderholz - which is bringing some much
needed sponsorhip money to the team.

Wickens was a friend and competitor of James Hinchcliffe back when they were teens. Their careers diverged when Hinch
left for America and Wickens went to race in Europe. Now they are back together on the same team! It's a small world.

Harvey is a former member of McLaren's Young Driver Programme. He follows soccer and likes to play chess and shoot clay
pigeons.

Fittipaldi will compete in 7 of the 17 IndyCar races this season.

DeMelo will compete in 10 of the 17 IndyCar races this season.

Matheus Leist
Zach Veach
Jordan King
Pietro Fittipaldi
Zach DeMelo
Kyle Kaiser
Rene Binder
Alfonso Cellis Jr
Jack Harvey
Robert Wickens

AJ Foyt Racing
Andretti Autosport
Ed Carpenter Racing
Dale Coyne Racing
Dale Coyne Racing
Juncos Racing
Juncos Racing
Juncos Racing
Michael Shank Racing
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports