Alexander Rossi‘s destination for the next few years has been the topic of much debate in the IndyCar community. Now, on Rossi’s 33rd birthday, Ed Carpenter Racing has announced that the California native will be joining the team on a multi-year deal to drive the No. 20 Chevrolet alongside Christian Rasmussen, who will pilot the No. 21 Chevrolet full-time in 2025.
For Rossi, this marks his third different team in the last few years. After spending the first part of his NTT IndyCar Series career with Andretti Global (and Bryan Herta Autosport in conjunction with Andretti in 2016-2017), Rossi moved to Arrow McLaren in 2023 in hopes that his bad fortune from the previous three seasons would turn around.
How bad were those three seasons? Well, after winning five races and scoring 21 top fives and 28 top-10 finishes from 34 starts in 2018-2019, Rossi had one win, 13 top fives and 25 top 10s across 47 races from 2020-2022.
Instead of finishing second or third in points, he was mired in ninth and 10th place. A change of scenery, however, did not reverse Rossi’s fortunes as he went winless in his time at McLaren with nine top fives and 21 top-10 finishes across his two seasons in papaya.
After Christian Lundgaard‘s confirmation in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet for 2025, the guessing game began on Rossi’s plans, with many pointing to a simple seat swap with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
On the surface, it makes sense. RLL has three cars, many sponsors and an IMSA program that Rossi would be able to do some endurance races with whenever he wants.
However, RLL wouldn’t be Rossi’s best fit. The Zionsville-based squad has not had the consistency that Rossi would desire of his next home. RLL has had some tracks where they have been good and some where more often than not you can find them wearing concerned looks.
At the end of the day, the speed chart tells the story, and that story is best told at Indianapolis in May. RLL has had their cars near the bottom of the starting grid the last few years after winning in 2020 and Graham Rahal had the car to win in 2021 were it not for a wheel coming off after he left the pits too early on a mid-race pit stop.
With so much uncertainty about RLL’s pace at Indianapolis, that route isn’t an option for Rossi. Meyer Shank Racing was seemingly an option after David Malukas announced his move to A. J. Foyt…
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