Austin: Alexander Rossi will race with Caterham at home

Reserve driver for the Caterham F1 team since 2012, Alexander Rossi will be offered a third participation in an F1 testing session next weekend in Austin – after Barcelona in 2012 and Montreal this year. The American driver will replace Giedo van der Garde.

I can’t wait for the United States Grand Prix week to begin. It’s an important moment for my career and for the sport in America, as well as another significant milestone for me to drive during free practice 1 at home, in front of my friends, family, supporters, and fans. It means a lot to me that the team is offering me this opportunity, trusting me with these responsibilities, and I want to thank everyone who made this possible, Rossi shared in the article presenting the 2013 United States Grand Prix published on the Caterham website.

With two American sponsors on the team, Dell and General Electric, and as the only American driver close to F1, Alexander Rossi knows he will be sought after for public appearances before this Grand Prix weekend: « It’s obviously going to be a very busy week, but I’m fully prepared for it. I’ll have many appearances to make before even getting on track, with the FOTA fan forum in town on Wednesday night, and then a karting event afterwards. I’ll have the chance to meet the fans and talk about our sport to all the local media in Austin, but then Friday morning, it’ll be time for the real work to start on track. »

The native of Auburn, California has the advantage of knowing the Austin track and the F1 cars – thanks to the various tests carried out with Caterham in recent months – so he feels ready to help his team approach this American Grand Prix in the best way possible, hoping to reclaim the 10th place in the constructors’ championship from Marussia. « I’ve already driven on the COTA several times, especially in a classic Grand Prix single-seater, so I know the track well. However, driving a current F1 car is different and during a Grand Prix weekend, it’s a very big responsibility. Thanks to the F1 tests I’ve already had in recent years, I am fully prepared to do the best job for the team during free practice 1. Since it’s an official practice session, it’s important that I help the team set up the car as best as possible for the rest of the weekend, while for me, it’s an additional opportunity to continue learning, developing, and progressing towards the next step of becoming a full-time racing driver in F1. »

If Rossi will be the only home rider, this Austin race is almost a home event for the two Mexican drivers on the grid, Sergio Pérez (McLaren) and Esteban Gutiérrez (Sauber). The latter will discover the circuit but is eagerly looking forward to the event: Austin will be a very special weekend for me, because we can expect to have the support of many Mexicans again. I come from Monterrey, which is quite close to Austin, about an hour and a half to two hours drive, so my family and also many of my friends will attend this race. It gives me even more motivation for the weekend and makes the atmosphere very special. It will be a challenge, because I have never raced in Austin.

Gutiérrez still hopes to be able to offer a good result to his fans: « My personal expectations are to score points for the team in front of the many Mexican fans. I want to entertain them and give them something to celebrate. »