INDYCAR.COM - MILLESS VIEWS ROSSI AS 2018 CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER
Alexander Rossi’s ascendance in the Verizon IndyCar Series can be attributed to familiarity.
A second season in which he won his second career race and improved four spots to seventh in the points standings wasn’t because he drastically changed his driving style, according to Jeremy Milless, race engineer on Rossi’s No. 98 NAPA Auto Parts/Curb Honda for Andretti Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian.
Milless, who worked with the 26-year-old Californian for the first time this season, says Rossi is becoming more accustomed to the series tracks as well as gelling with his crew to set up the car the way the driver likes.
The engineer makes the comparison to another young driver who showed a lot of potential in recent years. He previously worked for three years at Ed Carpenter Racing with Josef Newgarden, who won his first series title in 2017 after joining Team Penske.
Rossi surged late in the year with five consecutive top-six finishes culminating in an impressive victory from the pole at Watkins Glen International in the INDYCAR Grand Prix at The Glen.
Milless anticipates Rossi being able to contend for a series championship next season.
“For sure, he’s as fast if not faster on road and street courses than Josef. He’s....
