Rossi recalls anxiety, then relief on first trying 2018 IndyCar
IndyCar championship contender Alexander Rossi says that after his very first test of the new aerokit this year, he felt “calm and relieved” that the Andretti Autosport-Honda team was going to be fast.

Rossi heads to Sonoma Raceway next week aiming for his first title in only his third season of IndyCar racing. He is 29 points behind four-time champion, Scott Dixon, and is the Chip Ganassi Racing driver’s only realistic contender for the crown.
The Californian, who turns 27 this month, stated that the build-up to this season had fluctuated between positivity as he started attaining consistent results mid-2017 [including a win at Watkins Glen], to then being disappointed by other teams getting the new aerokit before Andretti Autosport, to happiness on sampling the product.
He said: “From the middle of '17, I started to see the results of the engineering changes that we had made in the off-season. The structure and methodology changes we made from '16 to '17, started to have concrete results. That's when I started to think we were going to be able to do something great in 2018.
“The work of everybody at Andretti, from Michael [Andretti, team owner] to Rob [Edwards, COO], no one has ever been content. Even if we're winning races, you come back on Monday – ‘Whoa, this was not good enough, this was not good enough.’ It's that kind of methodology you need to win races and championships.
“Really from the middle of 2017 I thought we can definitely do something, making the steps forward we needed to. Then the big question was, ‘That's great, but Ganassi and Penske and Carpenter and Schmidt are doing all this testing going into 2018. That's going to suck!’
“But Ryan and I were pretty calm and relieved after the first day we got in the car in Sebring, and my performance was instantly there. While there was a concern about it, I think that we were both blown away with the package that we were able to start with and the baseline that we had.
“That's a huge testament to all departments to be able to take kind of the numbers that they were getting from Dallara in terms of what this car is going to do, then come up with mechanical packages based on that.”
Rossi said that although he feels he’s gotten better as a driver, the introduction of a spec aerokit and the continuity within the team had been primary factors in elevating him to title-contending status.
“I think that every time you get in a car, you learn something new. You're trying to be better and learn from the people around you – your teammates, other drivers… I just think you get better overall. The more time you have in the series with the car, the team, on track, you see upticks in performance.
“Really, I think the big thing for us this year is just going back to a spec aerokit. It's really leveled the playing field and taken away advantages that teams have had in the past, just given us some opportunity to show the mechanical capabilities of our car, the strength of the Honda engine, all of that.”
He went on: “Continuity is such an underrated thing in racing. The fact that I've been able to be in the same team, first of all, but have the same crew and engineering staff for the past couple of years has really allowed us to move to that next level of communication, you know? Being able to work through problems. I think that's the biggest thing.
“It's pretty easy to have a good weekend when you show up at a racetrack, roll off and you're fast. I think a lot of guys in the series can race and be up front when that happens. It's the day you roll off and you’re P15, P18, whatever and you have a night to kind of regroup and try and come up with a solution to your problems.
“The guys who have been with their respective teams the longest are able to do that because we know how to maximize the most from each other, exact the most performance to get the end goal we're all looking for.
“We've had to do that a couple times this year and for sure being on Year 2 with Jeremy [Milless, race engineer] has a lot to do with that. It makes me even more excited for what our potential is in 2019.”

Alexander Rossi, Andretti Autosport Honda, Will Power, Team Penske Chevrolet, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda celebrate on the podium
Photo by: Phillip Abbott / LAT Images

Previous article
Wickens medical update, family reveals extent of injuries
Next article
Why IndyCar will be Alonso's toughest triple crown test

About this article
Series | IndyCar |
Drivers | Alexander Rossi |
Teams | Andretti Autosport |
Author | David Malsher-Lopez |
Rossi recalls anxiety, then relief on first trying 2018 IndyCar
Trending
IndyCar: Romain Grosjean tests the car
IndyCar Rookie of the Year: Rinus Veekay
IndyCar: Scott McLaughlin's rookie testing
Is Arrow McLaren SP ready for IndyCar’s title fight?
With Patricio O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist leading its line-up, 2021 could be the year Arrow McLaren SP-Chevrolet joins the IndyCar elite, writes David Malsher-Lopez.
Dale Coyne picks the Top 10 drivers in his giant-slaying team
Over 37 seasons, Dale Coyne has run no fewer than 80 Indy car drivers – including himself! Ahead of his first season running Romain Grosjean, we asked Coyne to pick the best 10 drivers ever to compete for him. By David Malsher-Lopez.
Why enigmatic Marco Andretti will be missed
Last Friday, Marco Andretti announced he is withdrawing from fulltime IndyCar racing. David Malsher-Lopez explains how this third-gen racer was a puzzle in the car, but a straight shooter off-track.
Why Roger Penske is an American motorsport icon
In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Roger Penske reveals the inner drive that has made him not only a hugely successful team owner and businessman but also the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar. He spoke to David Malsher-Lopez.
Is the mighty McLaren M16 the greatest ever Indy car?
When founder Bruce McLaren died in June 1970, his team could have folded. Instead, his loyal band rallied to produce a string of winners - including an Indy car game-changer that won three Indy 500s in six years.
How Newgarden delivered his best season, yet still lost
Josef Newgarden was our pick as top IndyCar driver of 2020 but his finest season-long run of performances failed to yield the championship. David Malsher-Lopez explains why.
2020 IndyCar Review and Top 10 drivers of the year
David Malsher-Lopez explains how the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series was unlike any other, and why it featured familiar and unfamiliar faces competing for glory.
How Dixon won his sixth IndyCar title, in his own words
Chip Ganassi Racing’s newly crowned six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon takes us round by round through his remarkable season. David Malsher-Lopez listens.