Alexander Rossi, a seasoned American racing driver competed in five F1 Grands Prix in 2015 for Manor Marussia. While his time in F1 was brief, Rossi became the first American to race in a Grand Prix since 2007. Though ultimately more successful in IndyCar, where he won the 2016 Indianapolis 500 as a rookie, and in endurance racing, where he claimed the 2021 24 Hours of Daytona, Rossi’s road to F1 was long and hard-fought, with wins in GP2 and years of test roles with backmarker teams.
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Born | Alexander Michael Rossi 25 September 1991 Nevada City, California, U.S. |
Rossi’s promotion to Formula One began atypically for an American. Rather than climbing the domestic ladder, he moved to Europe as a teenager—a rarity for U.S. drivers. His breakthrough came when he won the Formula BMW World Final, earning a test with BMW Sauber and becoming the youngest American to qualify for an FIA Super Licence.
In the following years, he raced in GP3, Formula Renault 3.5, and then GP2, collecting victories for Caterham Racing and Racing Engineering, and finishing runner-up in the 2015 GP2 Series. That momentum finally opened the door to an F1 race seat.
Caterham F1 (2012–2014)
Rossi signed as a test driver with Caterham F1 in 2012. That year, he became the first American to take part in a Formula One weekend since Scott Speed, driving in Free Practice 1 at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix. He continued test and development duties in 2013 and 2014, participating in practice sessions at the Canadian, United States, and Mexican Grands Prix.
However, Caterham’s financial instability—and eventual collapse in 2014—limited his prospects of a race debut. Rossi departed the team when new owners took over mid-season.
Marussia / Manor Marussia (2014–2016)
Rossi joined Marussia F1 Team as a reserve driver for the remainder of 2014, briefly lined up to replace Max Chilton at the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix, and later expected to substitute for Jules Bianchi in Russia after the latter’s tragic crash in Japan. Both appearances were ultimately withdrawn by the team, reflecting Marussia’s own financial fragility.
It wasn’t until 2015, under the Manor Marussia banner, that Rossi finally made his Formula One race debut at the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix. He would go on to start five Grands Prix that season:
- Singapore GP – Finished 14th, ahead of teammate Will Stevens, despite radio issues.
- Japanese GP – 18th place, again leading the intra-team battle.
- United States GP – A season-best 12th, marking the best finish by a Manor driver in 2015.
- Mexican GP – Came home 15th in front of the North American fans.
- Brazilian GP – Finished 19th in what would be his final Formula One appearance.
Rossi’s performance in these outings was quietly competent. Though not in points-scoring machinery, he out-qualified and out-raced Will Stevens in most of their shared appearances.
In 2016, despite signing a reserve role with Manor, he declined the chance to replace Rio Haryanto mid-season, citing a contractual commitment to IndyCar. That decision proved pivotal: within months, he would win the Indy 500—becoming one of the few drivers in history to step directly from Formula One to win America’s most famous race.
Post-F1 Career: Making His Mark in America
Rossi’s return to American open-wheel racing with Andretti Autosport and Bryan Herta Autosport in 2016 sparked a second chapter far more successful than his F1 career. He:
- Won the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie in 2016.
- Scored multiple IndyCar race victories, including at Watkins Glen and Long Beach.
- Finished 2nd and 3rd in the overall IndyCar standings in 2018 and 2019.
- Remained a fixture on the grid through to 2025, racing with Ed Carpenter Racing.
Outside open-wheel, he also excelled in endurance racing. Rossi won the 2021 24 Hours of Daytona with Wayne Taylor Racing.
Alexander Rossi Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 2014-2015 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Marussia F1 |
| Driver number | 53 |
| Entries | 7 (5 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 2014 Belgian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 2015 Brazilian Grand Prix |
Alexander Rossi Teammates
| 9 drivers | Involvement | First Year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitaly Petrov | 1 | 2012 | |
| Heikki Kovalainen | 1 | 2012 | |
| Giedo van der Garde | 2 | 2013 | |
| Charles Pic | 2 | 2013 | |
| Kamui Kobayashi | 1 | 2014 | |
| Marcus Ericsson | 1 | 2014 | |
| Jules Bianchi | 1 | 2014 | |
| Max Chilton | 2 | 2014 | |
| Will Stevens | 5 | 2015 |
Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Caterham F1 Team | Caterham CT01 | Renault RS27-2012 2.4 V8 | AUS | MAL | CHN | BHR | ESP TD | MON | CAN | EUR | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | SIN | JPN | KOR | IND | ABU | USA | BRA | – | – |
| 2013 | Caterham F1 Team | Caterham CT03 | Renault RS27-2013 2.4 V8 | AUS | MAL | CHN | BHR | ESP | MON | CAN TD | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | SIN | JPN | KOR | IND | ABU | USA TD | BRA | – | – | |
| 2014 | Caterham F1 Team | Caterham CT05 | Renault Energy F1-2014 1.6 V6 t | AUS | MAL | BHR | CHN | ESP | MON | CAN TD | AUT | GBR | GER | HUN | – | 0 | |||||||||
| Marussia F1 Team | Marussia MR03 | Ferrari 059/3 1.6 V6 t | BEL PO | ITA | SIN | JPN | RUS WD | USA | BRA | ABU | – | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | Manor Marussia F1 Team | Marussia MR03B | Ferrari 059/3 1.6 V6 t | AUS | MAL | CHN | BHR | ESP | MON | CAN | AUT | GBR | HUN | BEL | ITA | SIN 14 | JPN 18 | RUS | USA 12 | MEX 15 | BRA 18 | ABU | 20th | 0 |
