LEXINGTON, Ohio – Alexander Rossi will continue to drive the No. 27 Honda for Andretti Autosport in future years, the team announced Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, site of this weekend’s Honda Indy 200.
The multiyear deal includes co-sponsorship from NAPA AUTO PARTS and AutoNation. Also, Michael Andretti’s Indianapolis-based team will remain with Honda, which it has been with since the 2014 season. Rossi joined the team for the start of the 2016 season.
“We’ve been working hard on this, and I’m happy to see everything come together,” Andretti said in a release distributed by the team. “Since 2016, we’ve built a strong relationship with NAPA AUTO PARTS – they’re such a natural fit for the series, Alexander and for the team, and we’re pleased to be able to continue working with them into 2020 and beyond.
“We first met AutoNation through Ryan Hunter-Reay, and we can’t thank Ryan enough for his support and effort in helping the continued growth of that relationship. It’s been exciting to see AutoNation grow within the sport, and to see them now welcome Alexander to their family is just great.”
Rossi’s car will carry the primary livery of NAPA AUTO PARTS in nine events in 2020, including the 104th Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. AutoNation livery will be Rossi’s primary at seven events next season.
The 27-year-old Rossi has won seven races and six poles in his four seasons with Andretti Autosport. For a driver whose career first developed on European road courses, he has had success on U.S. oval tracks, winning the 100th Indianapolis 500 and last year’s race at Pocono Raceway.
In addition to winning two oval-track races in the NTT IndyCar Series, Rossi has won at a pair of street circuits (both at Long Beach) and three permanent road courses (Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio and Road America). He has a pair of wins this season (Long Beach and Road America) and is second in the standings after finishing second to Scott Dixon in 2018.
"It feels good to continue with Andretti Autosport," Rossi said. "Over the past four years we've built a very strong team with great chemistry, and I believe that we have the tools necessary to win races and championships. I'm looking forward to not just calling this my team but my home in the IndyCar Series. Michael (Andretti), J-F (Thormann), Doug (Bresnahan) and the entire team have been working very hard to put all the pieces of this deal together, and it's definitely a relief to have the future settled and be able to focus on the championship fight ahead of us.
"It's fantastic to have NAPA AUTO PARTS, AutoNation and Honda supporting the 27 program. I've had the pleasure of developing a great relationship with both NAPA and Honda and couldn't imagine not having them in my corner. AutoNation has always had a strong partnership with the team through Ryan (Hunter-Reay) and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to represent the Drive Pink campaign and getting to know the AutoNation team better."
Andretti Autosport has won five Indianapolis 500s, all with Honda.
"This is an important moment for Honda Performance Development," said Ted Klaus, President, Honda Performance Development. "Andretti Autosport is unquestionably one of the premier teams in the NTT IndyCar Series, and we are gratified to earn their confidence for the foreseeable future. At HPD, our first goal every season is winning the Indianapolis 500, and Andretti Autosport has won more 500s for Honda than any other team. That said, HPD is fortunate to work with multiple high-caliber racing organizations. This commitment from Andretti Autosport strengthens our entire effort as we move into the next era of Indy car competition."
The Honda Indy 200 will be held Sunday at Mid-Ohio. The NBC broadcast is set for 4 p.m. ET.