Alexander Rossi: “I wouldn’t trade my place for anything in the world”

How are you feeling heading into the 2020 season?IndyCar Series?

The big question concerns the Aeroscreen. Over the last two years we have had a good car, but its arrival greatly modifies the balance of the car. The aerodynamic load generated by the rear wing is less, so I hope that this will not prevent us from being as efficient as in 2018 and 2019. But we anticipate the fact that we will have to review all our settings.

Did you expect the arrival of the Aeroscreen to bring about so many changes?

Yes, especially since the first tests date back some time. It is a heavy element which leads to an increase in the general weight, a reduction in the level of support and therefore a modification of the balance. Even if some drivers will start the season with more experience than others (he only discovered this in February. Editor's note), we are all condemned to review our set-up sheets and we will see what the results will be. actors who will be able to adapt best. As far as we are concerned, we only had three days of testing before St Petersburg (March 10, Editor's note) so it will be complicated to be on top from the first round. (Itw made beforecancellation of the first four races. Editor’s note)

But did you consider his arrival essential?

Anything done to improve safety is a good thing, and it goes without saying that the head is a critical part. We were able to see the benefits of Halo in Europe. The Aeroscreen is innovative and the IndyCar is quite a pioneer in this area. However, the annoyance in this case is that we are adding an element to a car which, basically, was not designed to accommodate it. Conversely, all single-seaters equipped with the Halo have been designed accordingly. Today it looks promising, but it is always difficult to judge before the first race, when all the cars will be together on the track. But it's my life that is at stake, so I can only approve of it.

You have been devilishly fast these last two seasons, but had to settle for 2nd and then 3rd place in the end. Does this annoy you?

Two years in a row, we approached the final with the possibility of being titled. So yes, it's frustrating, but if the results differ only slightly, they are two completely different seasons in my eyes. In 2018, we gave the championship to Scott (Dixon. Editor's note) by making too many mistakes. In 2019, this was not the case. Penske and Josef (Newgarden. Editor's note) were stronger and from a purely sporting point of view, it was to him that the title should go.

What did you miss?

There are two or three races that we should have won but at the end of which we did not materialize and, very quickly, it paid dearly. Strategy, pit-stop or me behind the wheel, we have to improve a little on all levels. Today, competing in the NAEC (long races of theIMSA. Editor's note) with them, I am well placed to know what an extraordinary team Team Penske is, with an incredible level of professionalism. To achieve this, we must be perfect in every way. We worked a lot during the off-season to try to erase all these little imperfections which, taken together, prevented us from winning the title.

Where do you think you sinned the most?

If we look at the season as a whole, our weak point was definitely the short ovals. This is where we performed the least. We therefore looked into the subject during the winter, but we cannot simply concentrate on one single point. So we worked on our pit stops, with a somewhat different approach.

We can improve on short ovals, but stagnating everywhere else is impossible. More personally, in 2018, I was too aggressive and I think I found a good compromise in 2019. So I hope to continue to evolve in the right direction. But the biggest mistake to make would be to be complacent, because there is always someone who can improve and be faster, so you must always try to improve.

And you came close to a second victory at the Indy 500…

Certainly, but in Indianapolis, only victory counts.

When you won the 100th edition of Indy 500 in 2016, you said you always thought about the F1. What about today ?

I had trouble swallowing the pill, it's true. Turning our back on the discipline was really very hard to accept. The opportunity to drive with Andretti Autosport then presented itself and, during my first IndyCar race, in St Petersburg (March 2016. Editor's note), even though I finished one lap behind, I really enjoyed the experience. I was able to come to the United States, then achieve the miracle of winning the Indy 500 a few months later (in his first participation. Editor's note) and establish a relationship with Honda. This is something very special that I could not have predicted and I can't thank Andretti Autosport enough for this.

So F1 is definitely behind you?

Someone asked me as recently as January if I still dreamed of returning to F1. To make 20th (implied in a second-rate team. Editor’s note)? My answer is definitely no. I'm having so much fun here and I wouldn't trade my place for anything.

Since last year, you have been competing in the NAEC with Team Penske, with performances praised by all...

All credit goes to Team Penske.

Sure, but you're the one behind the wheel, right?

(Laughs). When you sit in a Team Penske prepared car, whatever the discipline, you know you have one of the best cars in the field. Afterwards, if it had been a GT, it would certainly have been somewhat different. I saw how difficult it was to adapt to a Supercars car (he competed in Bathurst 1000 last year in a Walkinshaw Andretti United Holden ZB Commodore shared with James Hinchcliffe. Editor’s note).

The DPi, on the other hand, drives like single-seaters, the only real difference being that they are heavier and have more bodywork. I was hoping for a relatively easy return to the sport, and that's exactly what happened. I didn't have the impression of discovering a completely unknown universe.

Was Bathurst 1 a complicated experience?

It's an understatement to say. Reason why I want to go back. I underestimated the challenge this track offered, how much your level of knowledge of the track impacts your performance.

You took part in the 2013 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on a Zytek Z11SN-Nissan meeting LM P2 regulations. Is returning there one of your goals?

The IMSA-WEC convergence, which we have just learned, is in my opinion excellent news. It’s a great opportunity and I’m really curious to see what it’s going to be like. If the opportunity presents itself, I will take it. But today I am very focused on IndyCar and I extended with Andretti (for several seasons, but the exact duration of the contract has not been revealed. Editor's note). I'm signing up for the long term and I want to win the championship this year. No other result would satisfy me.