Robert Doornbos

Robert Doornbos is a Dutch racing driver who competed in two seasons of American open-wheel racing in 2007 and 2009. The Rotterdam-born driver won two races during his rookie season in the Champ Car World Series but became less competitive after the unification of Champ Car and the IRL.

Before making the move to America in 2007, Doornbos had already achieved success in Europe. In 2004, he finished third in the Formula 3000 championship, and in 2005 and 2006, he participated in a total of 11 Formula 1 races for the Minardi F1 Team and Red Bull Racing.

Debut and Success in Champ Car

In 2007, Doornbos made his IndyCar debut by competing in the Champ Car World Series for Minardi Team USA. The Dutchman had an immediate impact, finishing second in his debut race on the streets of Las Vegas. That year, he achieved five more podium finishes, including victories at Mont-Tremblant and San José. Doornbos remained in contention for the championship until the final race, but his campaign ended in disappointment when he retired with clutch issues during the decisive race in Mexico City.

After the Unification of Champ Car and the Indy Racing League

Following the unification of Champ Car and the Indy Racing League in 2008, Doornbos initially struggled to secure a seat. However, he returned in 2009, this time driving for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing – a team he had often battled against in 2007. Unfortunately, the season did not go as he had hoped: his best results in the first twelve races were four ninth-place finishes.

Return to HVM Racing and End of His IndyCar Career

The disappointing results with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing led Doornbos to return to his former team, HVM Racing, which had formed the foundation for Minardi Team USA in 2007. However, the five races he competed in for the team yielded similarly unremarkable results. With the conclusion of the season, Doornbos brought his IndyCar career to an end.