Ex-Formula 1 driver Esteban Gutierrez will make his IndyCar debut in Detroit, replacing the injured Sebastien Bourdais at Dale Coyne Racing.
Bourdais was involved in a horrific 227mph crash during qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, fracturing his hip and pelvis.
The Frenchman was replaced by Australian James Davison, who retired with just 17 laps to go after contact with Oriol Servia at Turn 1.
However, it will be Mexican Gutierrez who will replace Bourdais for the seventh round of the 2017 IndyCar season. Detroit plays host to the only double header on the calendar with a race on Saturday and Sunday.
“I’m very grateful to join Dale Coyne Racing, a highly competitive team,” Gutierrez said.
“When Dale Coyne called me, I had no doubt that this would be a great opportunity for me to get experience in the Verizon IndyCar Series.
“My target is to learn as quickly as possible. IndyCar is a very challenging series for drivers, but I feel ready to take this chance.”
Gutierrez competed in F1 for three seasons with Sauber and Haas, before moving to Formula E with Techeetah last April.
“We’re going to miss having Sebastien in the #18 car, but we’re very happy with our choice of a replacement for him this weekend,” said team owner Dale Coyne.
“Esteban has a great open-wheel racing background, especially with his time in Formula 1 and GP2.
“I think he’ll do well in an Indycar despite the learning curve and we all look forward to seeing what he’ll do this weekend in Detroit.”
It remains unclear whether or not Gutierrez will stay in the seat beyond Detroit. It may be unlikely due to all of his three remaining Formula E rounds with Techeetah clashing with IndyCar races in Texas, Toronto and Ohio.
