Rossi had '1% shot' at IndyCar title after Sonoma team-mate clash
Defeated IndyCar title contender Alexander Rossi says he knew he was down to a "1% shot" at beating Scott Dixon to the championship after his collision with team-mate Marco Andretti
Rossi came into the double-points Sonoma decider 29 points behind Dixon with 100 available for the win.
But Rossi sustained damage clipping Andretti Autosport team-mate Andretti's car at the first corner and ended up finishing seventh, with Dixon clinching the championship in second behind Rossi's team-mate Ryan Hunter-Reay.
"It was unfortunate because I thought we got a good start," said Rossi.
"Just a two cars going for the same spot type of thing.
"The team did an amazing job of getting us back to a point where we could at least be in contention if something did happen to Scott. It didn't.
"I knew it was probably a 1% shot at getting anything done. I just tried to attack it, move up as many positions as we could.
"If Scott did have some sort of failure or something, we still needed to be towards the top six or seven. That was the goal."
Rossi managed to unlap himself before Graham Rahal stopping on track caused the race's only full-course yellow, then charged through the midfield before making an early final pitstop.
That brought him up to fifth, but slowing as he ran low on fuel meant he fell back to seventh.
"We chose to come in earlier than everyone else in hopes there would be a yellow and it would cycle us to the front," said Rossi.
"But it didn't come. They all covered me in case that happened, which was the right thing to do.
"From once the final pitstop happened and there was no yellow flag immediately, I knew it was pretty much day done."
Previous article
Sonoma IndyCar: Scott Dixon gets fifth title, Rossi fightback fails
Next article
IndyCar champion Dixon feared title rival Rossi would win from last
About this article
| Series | IndyCar |
| Drivers | Alexander Rossi |
| Author | David Malsher |
Can Penske redress the balance in IndyCar's battle of the titans?
IndyCar's gold standard teams Ganassi and Penske are set for another slugfest beginning this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. A poor start to the first season with the new aeroscreen left Josef Newgarden with too much ground to make up on Scott Dixon in the title chase, but his strong end to 2020 suggests a battle royale lies ahead...
The six major IndyCar subplots to follow in 2021
From rookies arriving with big reputations to veterans who still have the fire and an F1-linked squad pushing to join the big leagues, IndyCar has it all this year. Here are six of the key storylines to keep track of
The Indycar season that proves Michael Andretti is better than F1 showed
Often unfairly characterised as a car-breaker, judged for his lack of an Indianapolis 500 win and a disappointing part-season of Formula 1 in 1993, Michael Andretti was highly respected by his rivals and only thwarted greater success by ill-fortune. When it all came together in 1991, he was a truly formidable force
How McLaren is striving towards IndyCar's elite
The second year of McLaren's full-time IndyCar return is looming, with Patricio O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist leading its line-up. Strong team personnel and work behind the scenes means that 2021 could be the year it joins the established elite
The enigmatic legacy of a misunderstood Indy stalwart
Flashes of brilliance amid spells of obscurity have been too common for Marco Andretti. While the third-generation racer has opted to bring his full-time IndyCar career to a close, his peaks and troughs have never been for want of trying
Why American racing's top dog is without equal
A byword for success in business and in motorsport for over 50 years, Roger Penske's importance to the US scene cannot be understated. In an exclusive interview, the custodian of the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway reflects on his journey
The McLaren that rendered its Indy rivals obsolete
When founder Bruce McLaren died in June 1970, his team could have folded. Instead, his loyal band rallied to produce a string of winners - including an Indycar game-changer that won its third Indianapolis 500 five years after its debut
Why Newgarden's best IndyCar season yet wasn't enough
Josef Newgarden feels he didn't put a foot wrong in 2020, yet his finest season-long run of performances failed to yield a third series championship. But in a warning shot to Scott Dixon, Team Penske's team leader has vowed to redouble his efforts in 2021
