Last weekend’s race at Mid-Ohio did not produce the results that Andretti Autosport was expecting. Their four drivers finished 15th, 17th, 19th, and 21st in an ironically odd fashion. That wasn’t even the worst part of the day for the organization, as dysfunction oozed from inside their hospitality area.
Friendly fire was the theme of the race for this unique blend of teammates. Every driver had contact with at least one of their co-workers, and some didn’t stop there. The two main players in this situation were Alexander Rossi and Romain Grosjean. These two squabbled on numerous occasions on Sunday, leading to yellow flags, torn up race cars, frustrated radio messages, and post-race name-calling.
Rossi and Grosjean are two very similar drivers. Each came to IndyCar from the Formula One world, and still have a lot to prove. Rossi already has his foot out the door as he will be joining the Arrow McLaren SP team beginning next season. Grosjean moved to Andretti in the off-season after an outstanding rookie campaign with Dale Coyne Racing.
Both of these drivers are hungry for a win. Rossi hasn’t won a race in more than three years and Grosjean is still searching for his first career victory. They raced against each other five times in Formula One during the 2015 season. The two are also wired the same way, in that they believe they are the top driver that should be leading the team.
The fact is though, the face of this organization is already that of Colton Herta.
The last six wins for Andretti have all come at the hands of Herta. The young phenom is the only driver that has shown the ability to consistently put it all together on a race weekend, and execute when it matters. Expectations have never been high for rookie Devlin DeFrancesco, but he knows his role within the team.
The first dust up between Rossi and Grosjean looked innocent, but the Frenchman did not see it that way. The initial contact appeared to knock the wheel out of Rossi’s hands, taking away his car control. “It was a racing incident,” Rossi claimed. “He was on the softer tire and was probably going to get around me, and he likes to do it fast and early. I had to test him there and obviously that’s unfortunate to tap into a teammate, but that’s the way it goes.”
Grosjean was furious on the radio. “What the hell is wrong with him?” Moments later, he was given team orders to help protect Rossi’s finishing position. “What do you want me to do? Just block everyone…
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