Four-times Champ Car winner Sebastien Bourdais has confirmed he will return to Dale Coyne Racing after a three-year stint with KV Racing.
In the latest change for the 2017 IndyCar Series season, the French ace said; ‘I just want to be put in the position to have what I need to perform.’
Known to have long been frustrated at KV, Bourdais rejoins Coyne, whom he drove for in 2011.
Crucial to the move, Bourdais will bring Olivier Boisson who served as the lead engineer for the 35-times IndyCar/Champ Car winner while Craig Hampson will move to the team from Andretti Autosport.
Hampson worked with Bourdais for 31 of those victories for the Newman/Haas team.
“They’re the best two engineers I’ve worked with in the last 20 years,” Bourdais said.
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“It should really be a strong package. It’s the common denominator for me.
“I just want to be put in the position to have what I need to perform.”
Coyne was responsible for Bourdais’ return to the US after he spent two years with mixed results with Toro Rosso in Formula 1.
“We were honoured to bring him back to the States to return to his roots in 2011 and even more excited about what our future prospects will be in 2017 and beyond,” Coyne said in a team release.
“We have assembled a great group of guys over the past few years and, with additions to our engineering department for 2017, we are definitely ‘putting the band back together.’”
Coyne has collected four wins through the late Justin Wilson (2), Mike Conway and Carlos Huertas.
Conor Daly, who was second in the opening Detroit race this year, is likely to be the team’s other full-timer in 2017.
KV is shifting base from Indianapolis to Florida in the off-season however the decision on what its structure will be next season or whether it will field two cars is yet to be revealed.
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