Kyle Kirkwood dismantles Alexander Rossi's hybrid engine theory: "That's just common sense"

Ed Carpenter Racing's Alexander Rossi recently asserted that the new hybrid engines have made IndyCars heavier. In line with this, Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood has completely bashed the theory.

IndyCar's newly introduced hybrid engine system integrates a 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine with a low-voltage 48V Motor Generator Unit (MGU) and an ultracapacitor-based energy storage system (ESS). This hybrid technology, a collaborative effort between Chevrolet, Honda, and IndyCar, is designed to boost power and efficiency.

As per Speedcafe, Alexander Rossi believes that because of the additional weight of the hybrid engines (the MGU and ESS have added approximately 100 pounds to a single car), the cars wear down faster during races in terms of tire management, among other things. The Ed Carpenter Racing driver further cited the accelerated rate of degradation that was seen for the alternate tire options during the St. Petersburg race in the same interaction, saying that "everyone globally underestimates" the impact of adding that sort of weight and creating an extra burden on the tires.

Kyle Kirkwood was asked to give his take on this by Frontstretch on May 9, to which he responded, saying:

"I've been asked that question a few times now. Oh, well you guys aren't pushing as hard. I'm like: what are you talking about? No, we are pushing as hard as we ever have, if not harder. Might not look like it in the car, but we are. Maybe Rossi isn't. Maybe he should. He should." (0:40 -1:05)

Kirkwood further added:

"I don't know. Yeah, I don't it depends, it depends on what tire you are on, right? If you are gonna deg the tire, then of course you cannot push as hard. But it doesn't matter if the car weighs 1000 pounds or 5000 pounds. That's just common sense in physics."

Hybrid engines were introduced to America's highest class of open-wheel racing in 2024 and were unveiled mid-season, during the Mid-Ohio race weekend in July.

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"Not a great weekend, but could have been worse": Kyle Kirkwood on his outing at Barber

Kyle Kirkwood did not have the best of outings in last week's Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, ending his 90-lap outing in P11. Although he was the second-best performer for Andretti Global, he could not manage a top-10 finish, unlike his teammate Colton Herta, who finished seventh. Following the conclusion of the race, he shared his thoughts on Instagram.

"Not a great weekend, but could have been worse. Now let’s get ourselves to Indianapolis STAT," Kirkwood wrote.

In his IndyCar career so far, Kyle Kirkwood has managed to put on board 51 races with three Grand Prix wins, four podium finishes, and three pole positions. Last season, Kirkwood was able to secure a decent seventh place in the drivers' standings. Moreover, he amassed one pole position, five top-five, and 13 top-ten finishes.

Although the 26-year-old would be eyeing a better finish than P7 this year, he has already improved his record with more wins than last year's campaign. After four rounds, he finds himself in third place behind Christian Lundgaard and the reigning IndyCar champion, Alex Palou.

Next up on the race calendar is the 2025 SONSIO Grand Prix. The three-day event will kick off in a few hours at the Indianapolis IMS Road Course. Several eyes will be on Kyle Kirkwood at the racetrack.