INDIANAPOLIS — Arrow McLaren SP has signed American driver Alexander Rossi to a multi-year deal for him to drive for the team, starting with the 2023 NTT IndyCar season.
Rossi joins the team after seven seasons with Andretti Autosport for which he won seven IndyCar Series races, including the 2016 Indianapolis 500.
The American is a versatile driver who has also made five starts in Formula 1, raced the famed Bathurst 1000 in Australia in 2019, won the Baja 1000 in 2021, and took an overall win at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2021.
Rossi will join the team following the completion of the current IndyCar Series season.
Arrow McLaren SP will hold a press conference on Friday with Alexander Rossi and Taylor Kiel, president of Arrow McLaren SP at the Detroit Grand Prix Media Center.
Rossi is appreciative of his tenure with Andretti Autosport.
“First, I want to thank everyone at Andretti Autosport for an incredible seven years,” Rossi said. “It has been a great ride with an awesome team, and it has been an honor to race for the Andretti name and for Michael for so long. The time has come for a new challenge, with a team that is growing in the sport. I look forward to contributing to the development of Arrow McLaren SP and helping them reach the top.
“I see the commitment this team has to each other and to me and I’m looking forward to getting started. It’s time for me to race for another one of motorsport’s biggest names — McLaren.”
Rossi joins the team that fields full-time IndyCar Series entries for Felix Ronsqvist and Pato O’Ward, who recently extended his contract with McLaren through 2025.
“As we look forward to 2023, we are looking for a driver that will be a great fit and bring experience to the team,” said Kiel. “Alex is a driver who knows what it takes to succeed in this sport and will strengthen our talented driver line-up. He shares the same winning mindset that I see every day across Arrow McLaren SP and I think we will find a lot of success together in the years to come.”
Zak Brown is CEO for McLaren Racing.
“Alex is a proven race winner and an Indianapolis 500 champion, who shares our desire to win,” Brown said. “It is essential that we put the right talent in place, both inside and outside the car, so we can consistently compete for championships and race wins as a team. He is someone we have had our eye on for some time and we’re excited to see what he’ll do as a part of Arrow McLaren SP.”
Excited for the future. 🙏 https://t.co/l9VKQw0MjI
— Alexander Rossi (@AlexanderRossi) June 2, 2022