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"  After an impressive season in GP3, Alexander Rossi heads to GP2, the final step before Formula 1. The talented 19-year-old Californian&amp;#039;s 4th-place finish in the 2010 GP3 championship, highlighted by two wins and three podiums, was capped off by a GP2 test at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, where the rookie driver qualified 4th, outpacing many GP2 regulars, including up-and-coming Brit Sam Bird, who finished 5th in the 2010 GP2 championship.   Rossi proved he can handle a GP2 racer, but it&amp;#039;ll still be quite a jump up the ladder. Unlike a GP3 car, the Renault V-8-powered GP2, which closely resembles an F1 machine, especially in 2011 trim, develops 612 bhp, more than twice as much as a GP3 Dallara whose Renault inline-4 puts out 280 bhp.   That shouldn&amp;#039;t be a problem for Alexander, who earned high praise from the BMW Sauber folks after testing the team&amp;#039;s F1 car in December 2009, his reward for winning the 2008 Formula BMW World Championship.   As a result of his F1 test showing, Rossi became the only American and the youngest driver in history to qualify for an F1 Super License.   Alfonso de Orleans Borbon of Racing Engineering, a GP2 series team, called Rossi &amp;quot;Formula 1 material,&amp;quot; saying, &amp;quot;Alexander does things that Lewis Hamilton did in junior formula.&amp;quot;   Peter Windsor, sporting director of the stillborn USF1 team, for which Rossi was slated to drive, called him &amp;quot;fast, aggressive and decisive in traffic.&amp;quot;   Rossi&amp;#039;s goal is to make it to F1 in time for the 2012 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, and to become the first American since Mario Andretti to succeed in Formula 1.   The When &amp;amp;amp; The Where   Born: September 25, 1991 2002: 2nd Overall\u2014Jim Russell International Karting Series 2003: Champion\u2014Jim Russell International Karting Series 2004: 10th Overall\u2014IKF Regional Karting Championship 2004: Finalist\u2014Red Bull F1 American Driver Search 2005: Champion\u2014IKF Regional Karting Championship 2005: Champion\u2014IKF National Karting Championship 2005: 3rd Overall\u2014Red Bull F1 American Driver Search 2006: 4 wins/5 Poles\u2014Formula Renault 1600 (Half Season: 11 races) 2006: Champion\u2014Skip Barber Western Regional Championship 2006: 1st Overall\u2014Skip Barber National Scholarship Shootout 2006: 3rd Overall\u2014Skip Barber National Series Championship (Rookie: 3 Wins/2 Poles) 2007: 3rd Overall\u2014Formula BMW Americas (Rookie: 3 Wins/2 Podiums) 2008: Champion\u2014Formula BMW Americas (10 Wins/10 Poles/11 Fastest Laps) 2008: 1st Place Mexico City\u2014Formula BMW World Championship 2009: 4th Overall\u2014International Formula Master Championship (Rookie Champion: 3 Wins) 2009: 9th Overall\u2014GP2 Asia (Rookie) 2009: F1 Test\u2014With BMW-Sauber in Jerez, Spain (Qualifies for F1 Super License) 2010: 4th Place\u2014GP3 Championship (Rookie: 3 Wins, 3 2nd Place &amp;amp;amp; 1 3rd Place) "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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