American Alexander Rossi has been named the Manor team’s official reserve driver for the 2016 Formula One World Cup, and will be the first to alternate F1 with the IndyCar championship, the British team reported.
The 24-year-old Rossi will participate in 11 World Championship races with the Manor Racing team, where he will work with engineers and factory drivers, Britain’s Will Stevens and German Pascal Wehrlein, on the development of the MRT05.
His first race in Formula One will be the Russian Grand Prix in May.
Team Principal Dave Ryan declared himself “very fortunate to have someone of Alex’s caliber as the Official Reserve Pilot.”
We need a safe pair of hands for the job. For Alex, Formula One is still an unfinished business. He did a great job with us in five of the last races last season and is a very valuable member of our team, ”Ryan said.
Rossi noted: “I have invested most of his career in formula one and I am not one to wait for things to happen. this is my way of being prepared. It was a disappointment not to have an official Manor steering wheel this year, I pushed a lot and worked really hard, but as an official reserve driver I have a high-level dual program in motorsport. EFE
American Alexander Rossi, Manor reserve driver
