American driver Alexander Rossi left Formula One and made his mark in the NTT IndyCar Series by winning the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie in 2016. He’s also dominated other races like the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach where he won back-to-back in 2018 and 2019. We caught up with him there this year and he filled us in on the differences and what it’s like to transition from Formula One to Indy car and his thoughts on the new Indy car hybrid technology. He then goes in-depth about qualifying for the Indy 500 with the tools he has available to maximize performance. At Long Beach he qualified 13th and finished 10th. That’s a very respectable result as he was punted really hard from behind by his teammate (Pato O’Ward) going into the fountain on lap three. That resulted in an unscheduled pit stop to change a flat tire. The next race will be at Mid-Ohio on July 7th and will feature the series debut of hybrid technology. Enjoy!
NOTE: After joining the Arrow McLaren team in 2023, it was announced today (July 2, 2024) that Rossi will be leaving the team at the end of the season. Where will he end up? Only time will tell. . . Christian Lundgaard will replace Rossi where he’ll jump from the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team.
By Larry Mason
Copyright © 2024 Larry Mason
Alexander Rossi waves to the fans just prior to the start of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Rossi flies through Turn 9 getting the right rear tire off the ground as he tries to maximize his speed under braking before transitioning to power.
In this photo, Rossi is now under power exiting Turn 9 and is lifting the right front tire off the ground.
Rossi uses all the steering available to him to navigate through the tight Turn 11 hairpin at Long Beach.
Interview and photos Copyright © by Larry Mason (unless otherwise noted)