Alexander Rossi shares unfiltered thoughts on Conor Daly fight for an IndyCar ride in 2025

2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi is all for Conor Daly, who signed with Juncos Hollinger Racing for the 2025 IndyCar season. Rossi commended Daly's resilience throughout the past two turbulent years, which finally paid off for the 12-year veteran.

Ed Carpenter Racing replaced Daly with Ryan Hunter-Reay midway through the 2023 season, in June. The Indiana native couldn't find a seat for an entire year except for his Indy 500 entry Dreyer & Reinbold Racing with Cusick Motorsports, where he was the race's biggest mover, finishing in 10th after starting in 29th position.

In August, he finally made a breakthrough, as Juncos Hollinger Racing signed for the remainder of the season to replace Agustin Canapino. Alexander Rossi recognized Daly's efforts after the announcement on his podcast Off Track with Hinch and Ross. In a clip shared on Instagram, he said:

"I don't know that there's been another driver who's kind of been in and out, on the fringe, like outside looking in, and then still fights back and works their way back into it. Usually, in this sport, when you're done, you're done.

"So for him to be able to not get deterred by that and deterred enough to stop trying. ... we know him and we know the mental challenge that this has been for him over the past couple of years. And it's amazing to see the resilience that he's had through those ups and downs to continue fighting, to put a program together, to be on the grid in 2025."

Rossi drove for Arrow McLaren in the 2024 IndyCar season before signing with Ed Carpenter Racing for 2025 and beyond. He will drive the No. 20 Chevy alongside his full-time teammate Christian Rasmussen.

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When Alexander Rossi hilariously admitted to being "tired of talking" to Conor Daly

Alexander Rossi and Conor Daly were one of the 11 two-person teams that competed in the 30th season of 'The Amazing Race' that premiered on CBS. For the unversed, the reality show included 12 legs in a race across the globe for a $1 million prize.

"Our competitiveness, and what we are willing to do in order to win, there's no boundaries when it comes to that," Rossi said ahead of their participation in the competition (via International Business Times). "So I think that, that's what'll make the best team."

What began as an enthralling partnership soon turned boring for Alexander Rossi. In Feb 2018, the IndyCar star said (via IndyCar):

"It doesn’t matter who it is. It could be your best friend in the world, your girlfriend, your wife, your father. You’re going to get tired of talking to them."

He also emphasized how being in a quiet bubble away from the world initially appealed to him but soon turned tiring when Daly was the only person he could talk to.

"It was nice to have that and kind of free your mind, if you will, but once you finish your book and then you had no money to buy another one and you were locked in your hotel room and the only person you could talk to WAS your teammate, it took its toll," the former F1 driver added.

They eventually finished just outside the podium, in fourth place in the competition after being eliminated in Leg 11 in Hong Kong.

In 2024, Alexander Rossi finished 10th in the IndyCar standings with three top-5s for Arrow McLaren, while Conor Daly finished 26th, having competed in only seven races.