Manor F1 Team have announced that they have signed American driver Alexander Rossi to drive in five of the remaining seven rounds of the 2015 Formula 1 World Championship, beginning this weekend in the Singapore Grand Prix.
Rossi will drive alongside Manor's lead driver Will Stevens in Singapore, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, and at his home race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, USA, where he'll be the first American driver to race on their home circuit in eight years.
Roberto Merhi, who has driven the second Manor entry in the first twelve rounds of 2015, stands down as the second driver for now, but will return to the team to race at Russia and Abu Dhabi. This allows Rossi to close out his GP2 Series campaign with Racing Engineering - where he currently holds onto second place in the Drivers' Championship, with two wins, one feature race pole position, and six podiums.
“I’m very thankful to race for the Manor Marussia F1 Team and for their continued belief in me," Rossi said in the team's official press release. "I’ve been prepared for this opportunity for quite a while now. Many will know from 2014 that the team and I already have a strong relationship and there’s a bit of unfinished business for me here."
Last year, Rossi was expected to race for Marussia on at least three occasions in the second half of 2014 - but due to a number of factors, the arrangements all fell through. Just two weeks ago, Rossi was effectively ruled out of a race seat at American-based Haas F1 Team by team principal Gunther Steiner.
“This is a small F1 team that has been through so much. They exemplify passion and true strength of character, and their comeback this season is extraordinary. I’m honored to be part of this legacy and their continued growth and success."
Team principal John Booth added: “Signing Alexander is a continuation of our proud record of providing young drivers with the opportunity to showcase their talents. We believe he will do a great job and look forward to seeing him race for the first time this weekend in Singapore. It is also fantastic news for the sport that it will have an American driver again, particularly with the United States Grand Prix on our horizon and now two races in South America, in Mexico and Brazil. I know Alexander is very excited about that and we look forward to providing him with the opportunity to show the American public what he can do."
“While Roberto is obviously disappointed, he understands that this decision is in the long-term interests of the team and we thank him for his professionalism. No decision has been made regarding our 2016 driver line-up and we will continue to evaluate our options during the remainder of the season.”
Rossi, who turns 24 next Friday, will become the first American driver to race in Formula 1 since former Toro Rosso driver Scott Speed in 2007 - and only the third in the last twenty-five years, after Michael Andretti raced for McLaren in 1993. He is a former Formula BMW champion, and has won races in the International Formula Master series, GP3 Series, Formula Renault 3.5 Series, and GP2 Series over the last six years; he also raced for Greaves Motorsports in the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, and served as a test driver for Caterham F1 Team from 2012 until mid-way through the 2014 season - as did his new teammate Stevens.
