Return to F1 a Non-Starter for IndyCar Trailblazer Alexander Rossi

• Alexander Rossi opened eyes with his move from F1 to IndyCar in 2016 and with his win in the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

• Others have since followed in Rossi’s tire tracks from F1 to IndyCar, including current IndyCar drivers Marcus Ericsson and Romain Grosjean.

• Rossi could still potentially return to F1 if the right situation arose. But it’s a non-starter for him these days.

While admittedly it’s been a struggle performance-wise the last two seasons for the NTT IndyCar Series star, Alexander Rossi has also taken on a new role of sorts:

That of trailblazer.

Sure, there have been a number of drivers who’ve come from other series, most notably Formula 1, to race in IndyCar. Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato, who came to IndyCar from F1 in 2010, comes to mind.

But it was Rossi’s move from F1 to IndyCar in 2016 and the immediate global notoriety when he won the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in only his sixth career IndyCar start, that opened up the eyes of countless drivers from other series—again, most notably F1—and has made IndyCar not so much an alternative series any more, but rather a destination series.

Rossi grew up in northern California and while he enjoyed CART and then IndyCar, always had his focus on F1. When he moved there, his high expectations turned into brutal reality, starting just five races on the global stage for the Manor Marussia Team—with a best finish of 12th. Those struggles convinced Rossi to return back to America and when Michael Andretti called to see if Rossi would be interested in driving for Andretti Autosport, the response was both immediate and affirmative.

“If you're involved in Formula 1, there's only three, maybe four guys, that are going to be in a position to win a race,” Rossi said. “And at one point, working your ass off and training every day to maybe finish 12th, it wears on you. So guys come over to IndyCar and they realize, ‘I've got a legitimate shot to win every weekend.’ And it makes you realize that you've been missing that.

“When you're in Europe, and your goal is Formula 1, you’re so hyper-focused on that, that literally nothing else exists. Then when you get introduced to another form of racing, whether that's IndyCar or IMSA or WEC, guys are like ‘Wow, there's a lot of really awesome racing with a wonderful kind of quality of life that goes with it outside of F1, like the world is bigger than just F1.’ Guys realize that once they step out of that little bubble, they don't want to go back because it's pretty great. I think there definitely is a coinciding time from when I came over and my success, to now, and all these other people coming.”

Others have since followed in Rossi’s tire tracks from F1 to IndyCar, including current IndyCar drivers Marcus Ericsson and Romain Grosjean.

“When I raced in F1 I was seen by European drivers and European teams as kind of a European,” Rossi said.“I lived there for six years, I fully immersed myself in that, so they didn't really see me as an American.

“So for me going over to IndyCar in 2016, it was kind of like watching one of their own do that, and then the success that we did. I think a lot of it kind of stemmed from a little bit of just European arrogance, of ‘Well, if he can do it, it must not be that hard.’ I think it would be insane to say there wasn’t even a little bit of that that existed.

“So people saw what that did for my career and what that did for my life and everything, all the positives that came from that. The Indy 500 is a big deal. Even if you're not a fan of IndyCar if you're involved in motorsports, you know what it is, the importance of it. I think me having success certainly inspired Fernando (Alonso) to come do it. And then obviously, that just brought the European attention 100x on the Indy 500.

“Guys like Marcus Ericsson and Romain Grosjean, I think they all saw IndyCar as something that, well, ‘I raced against Alex and I beat Alex sometimes (in F1). So why don't I go have a career over there? If he can do it, I can do it.’

“Once you they got over here, they learned how difficult it is. None of us from Europe had beaten Scott (Dixon), Will (Power) or Joseph (Newgarden) yet. That's just reality. So they learned the challenge of it. And they also got introduced to a form of racing that made them kind of fall back in love with motorsports because, I'll be honest, Formula One kind of drains the life out of you in a lot of ways as a driver.”

Danish driver Christian Lundegaard, who joined Rahal Letterman Lanigan late last season, didn’t race in F1, but he came close. He competed in F2, and was on-track to eventually move to F1, before his journey to F1 stalled and he took his talents to IndyCar.

Ditto for Felix Rosenqvist, who left Formula E to come to IndyCar, although F1 potentially was an option.