Alexander Rossi broke his poles drought and showed again a good performance since he guaranteed his future at Indy. On a track that rewards those who start first, the American emerges as a favorite
It was at Elkhart Lake in 2019 that Alexander Rossi won for the last time at Indy. At the time, the driver had just renewed his contract with Andretti for 3 more years, was coming from a runner-up finish in 2018 and had the great performance of his career at Road America, beating Colton Herta at the start and winning with a rare 20-second lead over the second place.
At that stage, Alex was a strong Indy title contender against Josef Newgarden, and even though he lost the battle that year against the Penske driver, the feeling was that he was in a place capable of fighting for titles and that he was a top Indy name. Little did Alexander know that he would enter a hard fast and that lasts until today of remaining winless in the category.
Rossi not only lost space within Indy, but also at Andretti. In both 2020 and 2021, the person responsible for making the team win was Colton Herta, and Alexander didn't even appear in the top-5 of the championship. He was a victim of poor performances, reliability problems, and sometimes simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
In 2021, for example, he won only one podium and was 10th in the championship. Entering the expiring year of his contract, the scenario was quite clear that Michael Andretti did not have the full confidence to keep this marriage for 2023, and the start of Alexander was proof that it was time to take new directions.
And it was just when McLaren came along that the tables seemed to turn for Alexander. With the security of a guaranteed future in Indy, the results began to show. He made a great climb to finish fifth in the Indianapolis 500, and had a good chance for victory in Detroit when he got the strategy right, finishing in second position.
The pole at Road America is another excellent demonstration that Alexander has his head on straight and is able to perform at the same level as in 2018 and 2019. It is impossible to think that the driver has simply forgotten how to race.
Elkhart Lake, by the way, is a place that usually rewards drivers who start at the front, unlike the scenario seen in Detroit, where everything was more open. It is also not so frequent to see races surrounded by many yellows, another element that also places Alexander as a favorite on Sunday.
And the fight for victory at Road America is drawn to the big teams, with little chance for a surprise. Josef Newgarden, winner in 2018, has the chance to cash in on the trauma of 2021, when he led the entire race and suffered a gearbox breakdown on the last restart, in points that cost him the championship. The Penske driver starts second, and needs to give an answer in the fight for the title, even more so with his teammate starting 15th.
Always eating around the edges, Álex Palou was the 2021 winner, and on Sunday he will start third. Even though he has been a highlight of the season for his regularity, it is time for the Spaniard to win in order to become Ganassi's big name in the fight for the title, since he is currently behind Marcus Ericsson in the championship.
Road America is always a spectacle in itself and one of the best tracks in the United States.