Alexander Rossi of the United States and Manor Marussia speaks at a press conference during previews to the United States F1 GP.
DPA
Austin, Texas
Alexander Rossi can’t hide his excitement as he becomes the first American in eight years to compete in a Formula One grand prix at home on Sunday.
Rossi, who competes for backbenchers Marussia-Manor in five races this season, is the first US driver since Scott Speed to race in front of a home crowd.
“I can’t adequately describe how excited I am about competing in my home Grand Prix for the first time,” he said. “I’ve been able to keep that side of it in check, but now we’re just a few days out, the reality is starting to hit me and it feels great.
“It’s a huge deal for me, not only because it makes me extremely proud to be the first American driver to race on US soil since 2007, but also because it’s the realisation of a goal that I, and the people around me, have been working towards for effectively 13 years.
“This weekend is an opportunity to reward their support and commitment as much as my own determination as a race car driver, and I’ll be giving it my all.”
Austin’s Circuit of the Americas is the latest venue as F1 still struggles to gain popularity in the US where IndyCar and NASCAR races are the top attraction.
The race is important for European manufacturers such as Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari because of their general business interests in the US, while the presence of Rossi will give the fans something to cheer.
Sunday’s race is Rossi’s third but he won’t be in contention to get a second US win on home soil, following Mario Andretti’s 1977 victory in Long Beach. Andretti is also the only American to win the F1 world title.
US interest could grow soon, though, as Gene Haas is expanding from his NASCAR team ownership with the formation of an F1 team which will debut next year and has so far lined up Frenchman Romain Grosjean as a driver.
