Dale Coyne announces Claman DeMelo, Fittipaldi co-drivers of No. 19 car

UPDATE (Feb. 2, 1: 50p.m.): Dale Coyne Racing has officially announced Zachary Claman DeMelo and Pietro Fittipaldi as co-drivers of the No. 19 car for the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season, with PaySafe serving as primary sponsor.

De Melo will be open the season, piloting the car March 11 at St. Petersburg and will return behind the wheel for races Nos. 3 and 4 at Long Beach and Barber Motorsports Park. In a tweet, he announced he would drive 10 races this year.

With the support of his long-time sponsors and Escuderia Telmex, Fittipaldi will pilot the No. 19 car at the first two oval events, making his season debut in Phoenix, followed by the Indianapolis 500. He is scheduled to race in seven events.

"We are very pleased to have a leading global payments provider like Paysafe come on board to the exciting sport of Indy car racing as part of their North American expansion strategy," team owner Dale Coyne said in a news release. "With Zach and Pietro’s ever-growing skills, we look forward to a competitive 2018 season for Paysafe."

ORIGINAL STORY

INDIANAPOLIS – Ever since the dominos fell in such a way that led to IndyCar’s reigning rookie of the year Ed Jones to stun Dale Coyne and take a seat alongside Scott Dixon at Chip Ganassi Racing, Coyne has been hunting for a driver to pair with his ace, Sebastien Bourdais.

In a recent conversation with IndyStar, Coyne said he anticipates announcing early next week that two primary drivers will pilot the No. 19 Honda during the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

Those drivers, Coyne confirmed, are the oft-rumored Zachary Claman DeMelo and reigning World Series Formula V8 3.5 champion Pietro Fittipaldi, who tested for Coyne last week at Sebring.

Claman DeMelo would arrive at Coyne after two seasons in Indy Lights, one with Juncos Racing and the other with Team Carlin. In 34 races, the 19-year-old Canadian podiumed four times and won at Elkhart Lake last year. He also drove a second car for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at the IndyCar season finale in Sonoma where he finished 17th.

Fittipaldi, the 21-year-old grandson of Brazilian two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and Formula One champion Emerson Fittipaldi, comes to Coyne after winning six races in Formula V8 3.5, a European open-wheel series.

While both drivers have impressed Coyne during recent tests, neither is able to bring the budget necessary to compete for a full season. It’s not the ideal situation, Coyne said, but it’s the reality he’s in after Jones departed.

“This is just the situation we’re in because we need funding for that car,” said Coyne, who added that deals with both Claman DeMelo and Fittipaldi are not yet completed but are in their final stages. “But, truthfully, the money is secondary. I think this is a scenario that could work out pretty good for us.

“Both were equally good (in testing). Pietro, that was the first time we’d seen him in the car because he’s been racing in Europe. But he was professional and put out a good speed, and so did Zach. So we’re very pleased with what both of them did.”

Coyne and his drivers are in the midst of deciding how to split the season up between them. Those conversations, Coyne said, will factor in what sponsors need from their drivers and, of course, who gives Coyne the best chance at success at each particular track.

Coyne did not rule out the possibility of running both at the Indianapolis 500. He said along with Bourdais and annual 500 entry Pippa Mann, he is considering expanding to a four-car production this May.

More IndyCar:

IndyCar confirms test of windscreen at Phoenix

New SPM engineer Leena Gade thrilled to know nothing about IndyCar

Rahal agrees to multi-year sponsorship pact with Total Quartz for IndyCar

Follow IndyStar Motor Sports Insider Jim Ayello on Twitter and Instagram: @jimayello.