Alexander Rossi waved goodbye to McLaren with a 15th-place finish in the IndyCar finale at the Music City Grand Prix.
It wasn’t quite the farewell he had dreamed of, but the weekend was full of chaos and many drivers struggled around the Nashville Superspeedway.
Alex Palou managed to secure the championship a matter of laps into the race as Will Power dropped laps behind with a seatbelt issue.
Colton Herta even managed to achieve his first oval victory in the series, after years of trying for the tough feat.
Nashville bumps caused ‘very big moments’
Returning to Nashville for the first time since 2008, the Superspeedway played havoc with the drivers all weekend.
A massive bump – which had been smoothed out at the final corner, was still incredibly tough to navigate for the grid.
It even caused pole-sitter Kyle Kirkwood to crash out during high-line practice, with others entering uncontrollable spins.
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Speaking on Off the Track with Hinch and Rossi, Alexander revealed how tricky it was throughout the event.
“It was a very dramatic bump. It was a bump that was kind of similar to a turn two at Belle Isle. Your car balance had to be in a very specific window for when you went over it for it not to bother you.
“If you stayed in that category, everything was fine, but when you got it wrong, it was some pretty big moments.”
Next big IndyCar opportunity looms for Rossi
Rossi is yet to decide who he will drive for in 2025, although an announcement is expected fairly soon as more seats continue to get snapped up.
He failed to come to an agreement with McLaren after they proposed a one-year deal, making it probable that he seeks a long-term contract.
There are a few teams that could offer him that berth, including Juncos Hollinger, Rahal Letterman Lanigan and Ed Carpenter Racing.
But the most attractive proposition might be PREMA, who are entering the sport for the first time and have one vacancy left.
They signed Callum Ilott to one half of their program, but some more IndyCar experience would do them no harm if they can tempt Rossi to get behind the project.