Another week, another change for McLaren IndyCar driver.
This is the only driver who is different from the young drivers who were let go in the No. 6 car. He is a former Formula 1 driver and Indianapolis 500 winner who is making his own decision to head for the exit door from the team after this season at the age of 32.
After Alexander Rossi's disappointing European campaign with five Formula 1 starts with Manor in 2015, his life changed forever when he switched to IndyCar and won the 2016 Indy 500 on his first attempt, beginning a new journey that has seen him drive for two of the biggest teams in the series and become a star attraction.
He had recently enjoyed a brilliant spell with McLaren – scoring his best road race qualifying result of the season and his first McLaren podium at Laguna Seca last time out – but in the end none of that mattered because his exit was a “practical” decision rather than one based on performance.
“It was really just a business, that's how it ended up,” Rossi tells The Race magazine.
“So you can interpret that however you want.
“Whether it was the length of the deal or the financials, it was all about us trying to find common ground and meet in the middle, and it was just one of those things that didn't happen.
“Everyone has their own agenda that they're trying to fulfill and satisfy, whether it's their own agenda or someone else's. And everyone has their own responsibilities, too. And this was just one of those things that didn't work.
“Everyone needs to realize that this is not a negative thing. It is just a result of the sport/work we do sometimes.”
In the past, McLaren has offered a deal where the first year is confirmed, but the second or any subsequent year is an option for the team.
Rossi was clearly ultimately not willing to go beyond a certain point, and McLaren were not willing to either – whether financially or contractually – forcing a split that would see Christian Lundgaard take over the No. 7 car in the future.
What's next for Rossi?
It's interesting because Rossi seems very positive about his future in IndyCar, but from our perspective there doesn't seem to be a lot of options for anyone, not just Rossi.
Penske seems to have settled on its drivers. Ganassi is looking to reduce its car numbers rather than maintain or expand them. Andretti has reduced its number of cars to three and wants to maintain that number for now. McLaren is clearly out of the picture now.
That leaves only one real team capable of winning races and having seats left on the grid, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, which Lundgaard will leave for McLaren.
This seems like the obvious choice for Rossi, as it's the best seat available so far, and for Rahal, who would no doubt love to have another Indy 500 winner in his lineup.
Results have been mixed on road and street circuits, and sometimes dismal on ovals, so it's hard to see a seat there as a big win for Rossi.
Most of the other options seem like a big step backwards for Rossi, who has included his “unfinished business” in IndyCar in the race.
“Everything. Not one thing,” he says.
“It's about getting back to being able to fight for the championship, like we did in 2018 and 2019.
“It is clear that the ability to drink milk [for winning the Indy 500] Again, I see it from a completely different perspective, and I continue to be the driver and get the result I know I'm capable of.
“This is the motivating factor.”
Rahal seems to be the only team left that could realistically match Rossi's desired results, unless Rossi knows something about another team and any potential improvements they might make for next year.
Newcomer Prema is not thought to be an option. He could be reunited with old McLaren team-mate Felix Rosenqvist at Schank, but David Malukas has the potential to shine and stay there.
And if better places do come along, there are a host of young drivers who might accept a lower salary or shorter contract than Rossi, making them a more attractive proposition. The Rahal team itself has Yuri Vips (pictured below) under contract and he was very impressive last year in two substitute appearances.
With no major team able to find a disruptive way to confuse Rossi and force him into action, his optimism seems hard to understand.
However, Rossi's father, Peter, has managed his career for a long time and now also manages other drivers. He will have a good handle on what is happening and what is possible.
“There are no plans to leave IndyCar,” Alexander said.
“There's a lot I want to do here. So the next decision is just about what's going to give me the best chance to go out and make it happen.”
Given his recent form, he deserves another chance to continue his recent form and the journey he is on to learn from racing for another team and another manufacturer.
Rossi's Strange IndyCar Career
Rossi is an enigma when it comes to his career. By 2019 — his third year in IndyCar — he had seven wins, become one of the series’ most prominent drivers and sparked a ridiculous war over his future that included Penske.
He stayed with Andretti – but that coincided with the aerodynamic protection device coming in for 2020 and a change in the way the current car was driven – and Rossi added just one more win, in 2022, and that brought a penalty for a weight limit violation related to a water bottle.
McLaren followed in 2023, and he achieved his first podium with the team last time out at Laguna Seca.
Asked to reflect on the decisions he made in the driver market, Rossi said: “You can always look back at things, things that got away from you and things you could have done differently, but in the end, that's not how life works and you just have to enjoy the opportunities you have.”
And he says – even after making the decision to leave McLaren – he has no regrets about switching to them in 2023.
The biggest part of that – at least looking back on it now – is that he learned how ingrained some of his behaviors and knowledge were in racing for one team and one engine manufacturer for seven years.
“I only knew one way to do IndyCar racing for a long time,” he adds. “I only worked with one engine manufacturer, and there were a lot of things that I thought were IndyCar specific, but they were Honda specific, right?
“So I've learned a lot from the people I've worked with. That's the first positive I can take away from that.”
Rossi said that before the last race at Laguna Seca he knew this could be the path he would take in the future, and it was no surprise that the news came out at the right time.
Anyway, he thinks this might be a good thing.
“We still have a lot to accomplish this year,” he adds.
“So, if anything, it's good that that distraction is out of the way and we can all focus on what we think we can do and continue to execute on race weekends.
“I am excited about this opportunity and the things that will come in the future.”
Rossi has instantly become the most popular and interesting driver on the 2025 IndyCar market. That could be a really interesting story. Even if it’s hard to imagine right now that he’ll get what he’s looking for.
