Arrow McLaren SP has confirmed Alexandre Rossi as its new driver. The 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner will join the Chevy-powered team once the current season ends in September. Rossi will bring seven years of NTT IndyCar Series experience gained at Andretti Autosport to a rookie team with Pato O’Ward and a driver confirmed on his third entry.
“First of all, I’d like to thank everyone at Andretti Autosport for an amazing seven years,” Rossi said. “It has been an amazing journey with a great team, and it has been an honor to race for the Andretti and Michael name for a long time. It’s time for a new challenge, with a team growing in the sport. I look forward to contributing to the development of Arrow McLaren SP and helping them reach the top. I see This team’s commitment to each other and to me, and I’m looking forward to getting started. It’s time for me to race another one of the biggest names in motorsport: McLaren.”
With his Indy 500 victory and seven IndyCar victories, Rossi is the most successful full-time driver to join AMSP since it was formed in 2001 as Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
“As we look to 2023, we are looking for a driver who will be very fit and bring experience to the team,” said Team Principal Taylor Keel. “Alex is a driver who knows what it takes to succeed in the sport and will bolster our talented driver line-up. He shares the same winning mindset that I see every day at Arrow McLaren SP and I believe we will find a lot of success together in the years to come.”
Combined with O’Ward and either Felix Rosenqvist or a new driver if the Swede’s contract is not extended, Rossi has the perfect opportunity to take AMSP to new heights.
“Alex is a proven race winner and Indianapolis 500 driver who shares our desire to win,” said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. “It is imperative that we put the right talent in place, in and out of the car, so that we can consistently compete for championships and win the race as a team. He is someone we have been watching for some time and we are excited to see what he will do as part of the Arrow McLaren SP.”
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