IndyCar News: Arrow McLaren Driver Confirms He Won't Race This Weekend After Crash

Alex Harrington | Jul 19, 2024

Jul 14, 2024; Newton, Iowa, USA; Arrow McLaren SP driver Alexander Rossi (7) of United States stands at attention during the playing of the National Anthem during the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 at Iowa Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports / Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

At the Streets of Toronto, IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi has been sidelined for the remainder of the weekend following a crash during the opening practice session. The incident, which occurred on the twisty confines of Exhibition Place, has left Rossi with a broken right thumb, compelling him to withdraw from the competition.

During the final stages of Friday's first practice session, Rossi, participating in the second group, encountered a severe setback when his car struck the tire barrier with its left-front before slamming into the wall exiting Turn 8. This crash was not just a blow to Rossi and his team but also significant enough to prompt one of the two red flags during the session. In the aftermath, Rossi was seen focusing on his hand and wrist in discomfort, removing his right glove as the medical team hurried to his aid.

A statement from Arrow McLaren detailed the unfortunate outcome, via Motorsport.com:

“Following an incident that resulted in contact with the Turn 8 wall during Practice 1 at the Ontario Honda Dealers Grand Prix, Alexander Rossi was seen and released by IndyCar medical. The incident resulted in a broken right thumb. Alexander will be unable to compete this weekend.”

Prior to the incident, Rossi had shown promising form, clocking in as the fifth fastest in the session. The team has announced it will reveal a substitute driver for the No.7 Chevrolet later.

The track conditions at Turn 8 were a talking point among drivers, especially following the incident. IndyCar driver Graham Rahal offered insight into the challenges posed by the new asphalt at this section of the circuit.

“So, they have new asphalt, which is still bumpy,” explained Rahal. “So that just means if you miss it, the window is much smaller. As you go to turn into the corner, you come off the new asphalt. It’s kind of like Iowa. Iowa, it’s great they repaved the corners, but I wish they would have just done the whole thing or certainly a lot further into the straightaway so that initial phase of the corner was not on a transition like it was, which caught (Marcus) Ericsson out and some other guys. It’s similar here.

"You come off of the new pavement onto the bumpy asphalt and concrete as you get to the apex of (Turn) 8 By the time you’re in there, you’re rolling a lot of speed. It’s a corner that’s always done that, though. Even prior, we’d see the most accidents in (Turn) 8 of any corner. It’s just a challenging one.”