IndyCar's newest race winner, Christian Rasmussen, has expressed gratitude for his 2016 Indy 500-winning teammate Alexander Rossi's "massive" role in his success. The 25-year-old won the Milwaukee Mile 250 on Sunday, August 24, in what was a phenomenal day for Ed Carpenter Racing.Rasmussen and Rossi had a decent qualifying performance and started 9th and 12th on the grid. But with the supreme pace of the ECR cars on ovals, combined with a flawless strategy from the pit wall, the duo made it close to the Top 5 after the first round of pit stops.The pivotal moment of the race came in the final fifth of the 250-lap race. IndyCar waved the yellow flags in reaction to momentary rainfall. When the race restarted on lap 222, Alexander Rossi and Christian Rasmussen were on fresh tires in P5 and P7.To everybody's surprise, Rasmussen picked off one driver after another with gutsy passes on the outside before trumping Alex Palou for the race lead with 15 laps to go. Thereon, it was smooth sailing for the Danish driver to take his first IndyCar win.In victory lane, the No. 21 Chevy shared a heartwarming moment with Rossi, who ran through crowds of fans to be the first person to congratulate his teammate. In the post-race press conference, Christian Rasmussen was asked about Rossi's influence on him."I think not only for me, but for the whole team, Alex has been a massive, massive help. I think for me, having like a real veteran driver that has been around, he's been with all the top teams, obviously has been around IndyCar, top level of open-wheel for a very long time. Kind of seeing up close how he operates is quite different from what I've been used to coming through the ranks and whatnot," Rasmussen said via ASAP Sports.He elaborated on their relationship, adding:Having him as kind of a mentor, also trusting whenever he says something to me that it's the right thing. You also don't always have that. I think me and Alex both, on the racetrack and off the racetrack, we get along super well. Kind of similar personalities in a way. We keep a little bit to ourselves. I don't know. I really enjoy the relationship. Yeah, we'll continue to grow together, I think."ECR signed Alexander Rossi on a multi-year contract from 2025 onwards to partner with Christian Rasmussen. The 33-year-old earned a P4 result at the Milwaukee Mile 250 to record a season-best result for the team.Christian Rasmussen comments on his "aggressive" driving style after Milwaukee winChristian Rasmussen celebrates with ECR after winning the 2025 IndyCar Milwaukee Mile 250 - Source: GettyChristian Rasmussen's performance on ovals this year has been nothing short of phenomenal. However, his aggressive driving, be it on road/street courses or ovals, ruffled some feathers in the paddock. His tussle with Conor Daly at the Grand Prix of Portland was an example of that.At the Milwaukee Mile 250, the 25-year-old's overtakes and defense were aggressive than most other drivers'. Despite passing Alex Palou for the lead and gaining a comfortable advantage, he continued to pass lapped cars with risky moves as if he were racing them.In the post-race press conference, Rasmussen addressed this "aggressive" aspect of his racecraft, saying:"I think my... I don't know. I'm aggressive on track. I feel like I learned a lot of lessons last year of how people drive in the series. I've kind of taken that and kind of replicated that. I think I'm on the aggressive side, but I also don't think I'm... Feel like we had last year to kind of tone that or kind of get it into the right spot. I feel like we're doing really well with it this year."Christian Rasmussen will get another chance to display his oval magic during the IndyCar season finale at the Nashville Superspeedway on August 31.