Yahoo Autos How Rossi's IndyCar Win at Indianapolis Road Course Paints New Title Picture
You’ve heard the expression “R & D”? Well, for Alexander Rossi, Saturday’s Gallagher Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a matter of “R & B.”
No, we’re not talking rhythm and blues. Rather, as Rossi said after earning his first win in over three years (June 23, 2019, to be exact), it was all about “relief and belief.”
“It’s a relief, man,” Rossi told NBC. “It’s been so many things for so long. … There’s just been so much belief for so long and I’m just so glad to finally accomplish it.”
Not only did Saturday’s victory snap a 49-race winless streak for Rossi, it also was his eighth career IndyCar win and the second time he’s won at IMS, having captured the 2016 Indianapolis 500 as a rookie.
“To come back to Indianapolis and (win again) at home is really pretty amazing,” said Rossi, who becomes the eighth different winner in the first 13 races on the IndyCar circuit this season. He’s also just the second Andretti driver to win this season (Colton Herta won in the earlier edition of the Indianapolis Grand Prix in May).
Rossi dominated the second half of the 85-lap event around the 2.439-mile, 14-turn layout, winning by 3.5441 seconds over the highest-finishing rookie this season, runner-up Christian Lundgaard of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Unfortunately for Rossi, Saturday’s win is ultimately a bit too little, too late for him when it comes to still having a chance at the IndyCar championship.
The California native leaves Indy in eighth place in the standings, 113 points behind new series leader Will Power. But that won’t stop Rossi from going for more wins in the season’s four remaining races.
Those four races will be the last quartet of events for him with Andretti Autosport. He has already signed to drive for Arrow McLaren SP next season.
When he revealed a few weeks ago that he would be leaving moving to McLaren at the end of this season, Rossi said he still had some goals to accomplish with his current team, most notably to win a race or two.
Goal achieved, but that doesn’t mean he still can’t add to that wins list in the remaining events, either.
“Yeah, of course, there’s four races left and still a lot of really good tracks for us,” Rossi said.
Rossi finished 3.5441 seconds ahead of runner-up Christian Lundgaard, with a 3-4-5 finish by Team Penske teammates Will Power, Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden.
Lundgaard’s showing was especially notable, as he recorded the highest finish of any rookie driver this season with the runner-up outcome. It was just his 14th career IndyCar start.
“(Indianapolis) is my second home,” the Danish native said. “I love to be in Indy. To have a podium and this being the place, I would have preferred it to be the other way around (win the Indy 500), but we’ll take that next year.”
Herta No Longer a Factor in Championship
Rossi’s teammate, Colton Herta, who earlier this season appeared to be Andretti Autosport’s best chance for the championship, joins Rossi as essentially done when it comes to the title.
Herta suffered mechanical issues while leading that ultimately resulted in a next-to-last finish in 24tb place, 43 laps behind his winning teammate.
Rossi commiserated with his teammate’s misfortune, but also touted his own good fortune as well.
“I think he was definitely strong,” Rossi said of Herta before the mechanical problems ended his day. “We had pretty much the same race car. I don’t want to take anything away from him and what he did to come from ninth to that position, it was incredible. But it was the 27’s turn, so that’s awesome.”
Another Andretti teammate, Romain Grosjean, had nothing but trouble Friday during practice and qualifying, as well as in Saturday’s race, ultimately finishing 16th. Among the plethora of problems Grosjean encountered: a defective throttle sensor Friday, brake issues, a power issue earlier in Saturday’s race, and he also stalled while exiting pit lane.
Perhaps Grosjean should be grateful he finished 16th and not lower. In his last nine starts, the Swiss driver has finished 16th or worse six times, and has dropped from sixth to 14th.
Is the driver he replaced, Ryan Hunter-Reay, still available? Just askin’.
