Alexander Rossi touches on “the X-factor” heading into IndyCar’s second race of the season

Ed Carpenter Racing driver Alexander Rossi recently discussed the "X-factor" in play for the IndyCar race in Thermal, California. The race will be the second event of the season after the Grand Prix of St Petersburg earlier this month.

After spending seven full seasons driving for Andretti Autosport in the NTT IndyCar Series, Alexander Rossi found a new home in Arrow McLaren in 2023. However, just after two seasons with Zak Brown's outfit, Rossi was once again on the move and eventually took the helm of the No. 20 Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing.

Rossi made his debut for the team earlier this month in the St Petersburg Grand Prix, and secured a respectable 10th-place finish in the event. Ahead of the second race, the Thermal Grand Prix at Thermal Club, California, the 33-year-old touched upon the key factors that could prove to be critical for the race.

Speaking to FOX Sports' Bob Pockrass, Alexander Rossi emphasized that while teams have a general understanding of the track layout, there are unknowns that could significantly impact performance. He noted:

"We know what kind of directions it goes. You have an idea of the corners, that are the most challenging, the areas on track where you can win or lose the most amount of lap time." (0:01)

Rossi pointed out that the hybrid system can prove to be an unpredictable element for drivers and teams. He added:

"But as we saw at the Barber test, for those of us that were there, the hybrid is a big X-factor in terms of, it's not necessarily plug-and-play with the pre-existing setups. So I think that's an unknown."

The Thermal Grand Prix is set to be the first points-paying IndyCar event at the venue.

---

Alexander Rossi talk about the temperature and its impact ahead of Thermal GP

In the same interview with Pockrass, Alexander Rossi was asked if the major temperature difference that is going to be there during the weekend makes things significantly difficult for the drivers. There is expected to be a 20°F difference in temperature during the morning warm-up and the race.

When asked about the impact of this temperature fluctuation, Rossi downplayed its significance, explaining that Sunday morning warm-up sessions rarely provide a clear indicator of race performance. He stated:

"I don't think many people put any stock into warm-up. Whether it's this weekend, or when we get to the summer months, you know, Sunday morning warm-up is pretty early on in the morning, so the tires behave very differently. Track conditions are also very different." (1:09)

He believes that while temperature changes can influence track conditions, they aren’t unique to this weekend’s race and shouldn’t be a major concern for teams. The California native stated:

"I don't think there's a lot stock pits in the warm up, it's just kind of more getting the reps and making sure the car doesn't have any issues. So yes, it does have an impact but I wouldn't say that that is unique to this weekend."

Prior to his move to IndyCar, Alexander Rossi also competed in Formula 1. Primarily a reserve driver during his stint, Rossi drove in five races for the now-defunct Manor Marussia F1 team in 2015.