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With the impending likeliness of Esteban Ocon’s departure from the Formula One grid for the 2019 season, the topic of talented young drivers having their opportunities at the pinnacle of open-wheel motorsport cut, has been brought to light.
Ocon’s unfavourable position comes due to the recent bailout of Force India, by Lawrence Stroll, which’ll undoubtedly see his son Lance in one of their cockpits next year, and the reneging of contracts from Renault and McLaren.
Another Mercedes-Benz junior driver in Pascal Wehrlein, who’s had to spend 2018 racing in DTM as his employers couldn’t find him a seat in Formula One, has now severed ties with the Silver Arrows – in attempt to land a drive rumoured to be with Toro Rosso next year.
Stoffel Vandoorne is another immensely talented driver, who appears set for a 2019 season with no Formula One, having been ousted by a lacklustre McLaren as they get set to go through their third junior driver in six seasons.
Such is the travesty of losing these drivers, who in their junior careers were likened to past legends of the sports, that it’s become no surprise to see them branch out to other parts of the world and find success elsewhere.
That was certainly the case for one Alexander Rossi, who after a stellar 2015 season in the GP2 feeder series, where which he was runner up to Vandoorne and had an ambition to break into Formula One – finds himself an IndyCar front-runner and 2018’s runner up.
Rossi was runner-up to Stoffel Vandoorne, who’s future is also in doubt. (Image: AMG Mercedes-Benz)
Despite having contested five grand prix for the defunct Manor Marussia outfit, there was no room for the 26-year old Californian in Formula One, even with the new American based team in Haas – who’s team principal Guenther Steiner publicly stated, “there is nobody ready for F1 in the United States in my opinion.”
Steiner’s comments did receive mass criticism and Rossi, who at the time the Italian made the remarks, had already won the coveted Indy 500 in only his rookie season and was regarded as one of IndyCar’s rising talents. So too was Josef Newgarden, who was crowned IndyCar champion in 2017 and earmarked as a potential Formula One prospect.
Though with the likes of Ocon and Vandoorne unable to find homes on the Formula One grid for 2019, there is little chance for a Rossi to make a return soon – which sadly would deprive many from seeing 2015 GP2 alumni in Vandoorne and Rossi battle again.
Formula One’s loss has been IndyCar’s gain and 2018 has been a genuinely impressive season for Rossi, boasting three wins including one at
the fierce Long Beach Grand Prix and having been in contention for the title right until the final race at Sonoma.
It was his first lap collision with Andretti stablemate Marco Andretti, that ultimately blew the Californian’s chances of overhauling the points deficit to the now five-time IndyCar champion in Scott Dixon, though this loss can only mean that Rossi will return stronger in 2019.
Perhaps Rossi will have the chance to battle with his old rival Vandoorne again, who has been open to a switch to IndyCar, if a Formula One drive cannot be secured. And what of the imminent arrival of Fernando Alonso?
Still, without detracting from the spectacular championship that IndyCar is, the desire to see Rossi and co compete in Formula One supersedes anything.
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