Alexander Rossi says his performances for Manor in F1 this season should give him the momentum to secure a race seat next year.
The American took part in five races this season - in Singapore, Japan, the USA, Mexico and Brazil - having signed a deal to drive when he wasn’t competing in GP2. Last weekend’s race in Brazil marked the first time Rossi failed to beat team-mate Will Stevens in a race, and he told F1i the results are encouraging in terms of earning himself a full-time drive next year.
“Looking back on the five it’s all been very positive,” Rossi said. “We've done the best job that we can in a lot of very interesting circumstances in terms of weather and different challenges and stuff. So I think to come out on top in terms of the qualifying battle and the race battle is quite good and hopefully we can take the momentum in to something for next year.”
Directly asked if he feels he has done enough to convince Manor it should put him in a race seat for 2016, Rossi replied: “I think so, yeah!
“It’s always difficult to be thrown in kind of half way or three quarters of the way through the year but we’ve had the better of the other car pretty much every weekend so I think that’s quite a good sign and the relationship is positive so hopefully we can put something together.”
Rossi also reiterated how much more interest there has been in sponsoring him as a result of his promotion to a race seat for the five races this season.
“100%. Being in a race seat versus selling the potential of being in a race seat changes your perception massively. As it has been quite successful and the results in GP2 have been quite strong as well I think that everything is pointing in the right direction.
“People are quite excited and amped about me getting to Formula One. That’s something that I haven’t had as much of in the past so I think going in to this winter it is the best chance that I have ever had of getting a race seat.”
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