Why Alexander Rossi Still Should Be in a Top Indy Ride
From 2018 to 2019, it looked certain that Alexander Rossi would get that title soon. He finished 2nd in points in 2018 and then 3rd in 2019. But here Rossi sits, with only one win since 2019 and now on Ed Carpenter Racing, the definitive IndyCar midpack team. A closer look shows Rossi deserves better, though.
Breaking Down Alexander Rossi’s On-Track PerformanceÂ
With some of his impressive runs recently and advanced stats showing Rossi’s still got top speed! His most recent finish at Portland, a 5th place with ECR, is not only impressive but consistent with his performance all year. He’s had 5 total top 10 finishes all seasons, along with an 11th at Gateway, with 4 of those top 10s coming in the first 7 races of the year. Compare this to Veekay on the same team last season, who had 7 top 10s and also a single top five. But even then, advanced stats only emphasize how great Rossi’s been in 2025!
The Running Position Stats that Proved Rossi’s Talent
After the historic California race, Rossi was 6th in all of IndyCar with a 9.1 average running position. This is ahead of many great drivers, such as the series’ greatest-ever driver Scott Dixon, Pato O’Ward, or even Santino Ferrucci, and right behind Andretti franchise guy Colton Herta, who, after Long Beach, had an 8.5 average running position. Most notably, however, Rossi was ahead of all the Penske drivers, with none of them even cracking the top 10 in running position after Long Beach, which says a lot about Rossi and Team Penske’s 2025.
Where Will His Next Seat Be?
Well, speaking of the Penske 2025 circus, I couldn’t continue this article without mentioning Will Power. Penske is the only winner so far this season. His contract has been the talk of IndyCar for weeks now, and while if you haven’t gotten it by now, 2025 has not been Penske’s best year. It’s still the same Team Penske that in 2024 had a driver who finished 3rd in the standings, had won its 2nd straight Indy 500, and has 244 IndyCar wins plus 17 American Open Wheel championships. So if Will Power says See you later, Rossi would be the perfect replacement.
Factoring in Penske’s Rival Ganassi
Rossi has already driven for half of Indy’s elite teams, such as Andretti and McLaren, leaving Ganassi, the defending champions, as one of the 2 elite teams he hasn’t driven for. With CGR hitting the peak of their powers, there couldn’t be a better place for Rossi to redeem himself and claim the title he was so close to winning before the turn of the decade. But who would Rossi replace? Well, there are a couple of options.
First off, the young Kyffin Simpson. The Caymanian driver was a rookie in 2024, but he’s always looked out of place in those beautiful CGR cars. He’s definitely improved from last year, earning his 1st career podium at Toronto. But with only 4 top 10s with CGR in 2 years, many are looking at that seat and wondering if someone can do better. We know Rossi can; after all, he’s beating him in the standings right now with a much worse car! While I couldn’t find anything about Simpson’s contract details, it seems like it doesn’t matter all that much with the way the captain likes to do things.
Final Thoughts
“We just throw darts. We don’t really play much,” Ganassi joked when asked what the future might look like for the Cayman Islands native. “I don’t know what it is yet. I would like to share it with somebody, but I don’t know what the hell it is.” With the right sponsor, Rossi could be in the 8 by tomorrow. There’s also Palou, which seems insane. Why would CGR get rid of their defending 4-time champion?
Well, they wouldn’t, but it might not be up to them. There’s been no update as to how mediation went between Palou and McLaren, who accused him of breaching contract when he resigned to CGR. Meaning the trial could still be ongoing, and if McLaren wins, it could mean Palou being forced to go early. In that case, there are not many better placements for Ganassi than Rossi. Thanks a bunch for reading!
