Alexander Rossi calls Max Verstappen's Indy 500 reluctance 'kind of a cop-out'

Max Verstappen is a Formula 1 driver who has little desire to compete in the Indianapolis 500. 

Alexander Rossi used to be that guy. 

Rossi joined Sky Sports' "Any Driven Monday" show and responded to Verstappen's lack of desire to drive in the Indy 500 because of safety concerns. 

The 2016 Indy 500 champ understands there is significant danger in heading into a turn at 240 mph, but considers Verstappen's blanket rejection a "cop-out." 

"We had four crashes and we didn’t have any cars splitting in half," Rossi said. "You can’t say that about Monaco, right? I think the safety argument is kind of a cop-out." 

In F1's Monaco Grand Prix, Mick Schumacher's car split after a one-car accident. He was uninjured.

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Alexander Rossi on F1 

"I think, when you are on a trajectory for Formula 1 and your entire world revolves around F1, it’s a sad state in the sense that other racing really doesn’t exist to you," he told Sky Sports.

"I was the same way — I knew what the Indy 500 was but I didn’t ever really pay attention to it. But then, when you come and you have the opportunity to do it, it truly is an incredibly special event."

Rossi drove in five F1 races in 2015 before joining the IndyCar Series in '16 with Andretti Autosport and Bryan Herta.