Devlin DeFrancesco hints at hard work ahead after securing RLL Racing IndyCar seat

After a one-year IndyCar sabbatical, Devlin DeFrancesco has secured a 2025 seat with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. A few hours after the big announcement, the Canadian shared a succinct message about the preparations.

DeFranceso will drive the No. 30 Honda next year after signing a multi-year deal with RLL. After the announcement, he shared an Instagram story from a window seat of an airplane, hinting at the upcoming grind for 2025. The 24-year-old wrote:

"Happy to be back the work starts now 🚀 @rllracing"

A snapshot of Devlin DeFrancesco's Instagram story (@devlindefran)

DeFrancesco also released an official statement to accompany two-time Indy 500 winning team RLL's announcement. He said (via IndyCar):

"I’m very excited to be back in the INDYCAR SERIES. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has an amazing history and is also on an impressive trajectory. Seeing all the work that is going on from the men and women behind the scenes, it is easy to see that this team and myself are very hungry for results. I look forward to getting started with all the great people here."

In 2024, the Canadian driver raced in the GTD class of the IMSA Sportscar championship for Forte Racing's Lamborghini team. He'll line up alongside Graham Rahal and rookie Louis Foster upon his return to IndyCar in 2025.

Devlin DeFrancesco's underwhelming IndyCar stint with Andretti in 2022 and 2023

Devlin DeFrancesco at the 107TH Running of the Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

Devlin DeFrancesco was supposed to be IndyCar's next big thing after Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport (now Andretti Global) signed him in 2022. Team owners Michael Andretti and George Steinbrenner IV had been preparing the youngster for three years before their plan materialized that year.

DeFrancesco joined Steinbrenner Racing and Andretti Autosport in 2020 to compete in the Indy Pro 2000 championship, where he finished runner-up to Sting Ray Robb. In the 2021 Indy Lights (now Indy NXT) season, he scored nine top-5 finishes, including two podiums, and finished sixth in the standings.

Michael Andretti had high hopes from the Canadian. In November 2021, after announcing DeFrancesco's IndyCar promotion, he said (via IndyCar):

"It's actually exciting when a plan comes together. This is something that started quite a few years ago. The plan was always for him (DeFRancesco) to get to INDYCAR right about now, and it's really great when it all comes together. It was more basically just following the plan. I'm really excited."

The excitement died down quite soon. He finished 23rd in the standings in his rookie season with a best race finish position of 12th, and could only better it to 22nd in the standings his second year in IndyCar. DeFrancesco left the team after two disappointing seasons.