Photo Credit: Joe Skibinski/IndyCar
For months now, Alexander Rossi has been trying to break through on the road and street courses. A second-place finish at Exhibition Place on the Streets of Toronto may be just what Rossi needed in order to break through on a more regular basis.
The 25-year-old from California came to the Verizon IndyCar Series at the beginning of last season after an attempt at a Formula 1 career. Driving for Bryan Herta-Andretti Autosport, Rossi won the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie in 2016. Since then, Rossi has been looking for more break through results. While he’s come close on other tracks such as Detroit, Iowa and Sonoma, he finally broke the podium drought at the Honda Indy Toronto.
“I think it’s no secret that we as a team have struggled the past year and a half, and this year was the first time we really made a step forward on the road and street tracks,” Rossi said after the race. “The ovals were definitely our strong suit in 2016. I think there were a couple this year that got away from us anyways from mechanical issues and whatnot.”
Rossi now heads into the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in a few weeks time with some much needed momentum. He sits eighth in points, and while he’s out of the title fight, the chance at better results in the weeks ahead become much more plausible.
“When you get a podium and a win here, it feels like you’ve accomplished something pretty cool. So, yeah, hopefully it’s the first of many,” he said. “Like I said, momentum is a pretty powerful thing in this sport, and we’ll definitely use this to carry us forward for the rest of the year.”
