Alexander Rossi

Alexander Rossi's Road to IndyCar

Alexander Rossi began his motorsport career in American Formula BMW, where he won the championship in 2008. He then climbed the European motorsport ladder: moving through International Formula Master results, GP3 Series, and Formula Renault 3.5 Series, he arrived in the GP2 Series in 2013.

In his third season of GPe Series, he finished second in the championship, which he combined with driving five Formula 1 races for the small Manor Marussia F1 Team. In 2016, he was unable to continue his Formula 1 career and shifted his focus to American motorsport.

Indy 500 Win in Rossi's Rookie Season

Rossi managed to secure a seat with Andretti Autosport for 2016, which turned out to be an excellent choice. Rossi won the sixth IndyCar race of his career, and it was no ordinary win; the man from Nevada City won the 100th Indianapolis 500!

More Successes in 2017

Rossi also performed well in 2017. Although he was unable to defend his Indianapolis 500 victory, he achieved his first win on a permanent circuit: Watkins Glen. Rossi was a title contender up until the season finale the following year but ultimately fell just short of Scott Dixon, finishing second in the championship.

Disappointments and Inconsistency at Andretti Autosport

After the very strong seasons of 2018 and 2019, 2020 turned into a huge disappointment for Rossi. For the first time in his career, he ended an NTT IndyCar Series season without a win. In 2022, the single Indianapolis 500 winner had a slightly better season, winning at least one race. However, Rossi saw no future with Andretti Autosport and made the switch to McLaren for 2023.

Rossi Fails to Meet Expectations at McLaren

Rossi was brought into McLaren to be a second, more experienced driver alongside Pato O'Ward, who was expected to compete for the championship. In 2023, Rossi did not perform spectacularly and ended the year ninth in the championship but laid a good foundation for his second season with the originally British team.

For 2024, Rossi had high expectations, but it turned out to be a disappointing season. Despite finishing in the top ten in most races, he failed to make a significant impact. His tenth place in the championship was telling, while teammate Pato O'Ward finished fifth. As a result, McLaren decided to replace Rossi with Christian Lundgaard after two seasons, after which he found a home at Ed Carpenter Racing for 2025.