The 2024 IndyCar Season has concluded, crowning Alex Palou as its champion for a 3rd time in simply 5 seasons. And all whereas Palou was combating for a three-time champion end, the remainder of the season stuffed itself out with sufficient intrigue, including in drama and controversy, together with the complexities of the long-awaited hybrid system. However in the long run, it was a surprising show of racing — demonstrating why this collection is taken into account the most effective in open-wheel racing within the nation.
Now, Palou might have topped IndyCar’s 2024 standings, however the place does he stand in Motorsport’s rankings? Our esteemed IndyCar author, Joey Barnes, provides us his high 10 drivers of the 2024 season.
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VeeKay ended the season exterior the highest 10 within the factors standings, however nonetheless impressed on his ECR swansong
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
Whereas the tip of season desk left Rinus VeeKay thirteenth within the championship standings, he had a robust 12 months contemplating he was the second-highest positioned driver in a automobile not affiliated in a technical alliance of the “Large 4” consisting of Andretti World, Arrow McLaren, Chip Ganassi Racing or Group Penske.
Teamed with Ed Carpenter Racing, the Dutchman took a big step ahead as a pacesetter whereas additionally serving to discover an elevated degree of consistency and tempo because the group bought deeper into the season.
He solely had two top-10 outcomes by way of the opening 9 points-paying rounds, however then discovered type over the subsequent eight races, which included his greatest end of the season with fifth at Iowa and 4 extra high 10s.
His mark of seven top-10 finishes was higher than the 2 drivers that completed forward of him within the total standings — Christian Lundgaard and Felix Rosenqvist (each with 5) — and in addition stood as a career-best over his 5 years in North America’s premier open-wheel championship.
Regardless of the certified success, Ed Carpenter Racing and Veekay parted methods on the finish of the season, with the workforce bringing on Alexander Rossi in his place.
Ferrucci typically punched above his league in partnership with AJ Foyt Racing
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
The mixture of Santino Ferrucci and AJ Foyt Racing persevering with for a second consecutive season collectively regarded deadly at occasions. This 12 months featured a technical alliance with Group Penske, which little doubt helped set up an improved baseline at varied occasions.
Nonetheless, there was a job to be achieved and the execution was a match for the raised expectations. The small outfit scored a formidable 11 high 10 finishes through the 12 months, together with a pair of fourths within the double-header spherical at Milwaukee.
The one place there have been loads of expectations on the shoulder of the 26-year-old pilot was the Indianapolis 500, particularly after his thrilling third-place end in 2023. This 12 months, he as soon as once more delivered a stirring qualifying efficiency and began sixth, however wasn’t fairly as deadly within the race as he led only one lap en path to ending eighth. It stood as his sixth high 10 in as many Indy 500 begins.
The Connecticut native additionally captured his first profession pole at Portland after out-dueling pseudo-teammate Energy. He ended the 12 months ninth, a private greatest. It was additionally the primary time Foyt positioned a driver within the high 10 of the ultimate standings since 2002, when Airton Daré completed ninth within the all-oval collection then nonetheless generally known as the Indy Racing League.
Kirkwood might not have secured a victory however he nonetheless picked up a career-best haul of top-10 finishes
Picture by: Perry Nelson / Motorsport Photos
The victories might not have been there for the native of Jupiter, Florida, however Kyle Kirkwood nonetheless had loads to relish in 2024 as he established a greater degree of consistency. The Andretti World driver’s 5 high fives and 11 high 10s have been a career-best over his three seasons in IndyCar. Along with a good runner-up outing on the streets of Toronto, he bolstered his status on ovals.
Kirkwood began his mark on ovals in 2024 with a seventh within the Indy 500 and matched it within the first race of the doubleheader weekend at Iowa. An eighth within the opening race of Milwaukee’s doubleheader continued the theme, nevertheless it was Nashville the place he actually demonstrated his improved oval prowess.
After beginning on pole, he led 67 laps and needed to overcome an unfortunately-timed warning, which got here out moments into the preliminary spherical of pit stops. Nonetheless, the tempo was there for Kirkwood to shoot again by way of the sector, in the end ending fourth.
If the outcomes of his consistency have been raised simply one other two spots increased on common, he very nicely may probably be a risk on the high three within the total championship battle.
Not one among Newgarden’s greatest years, nevertheless it yielded a second consecutive Indy 500 win
Picture by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Photos
Successful the Indy 500 salvaged what was in any other case a season to overlook for Josef Newgarden.
Whereas he throttled to what seemed to be a dominating assertion win within the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, a black cloud rolled in and stripped him of victory 45 days later resulting from unlawful use of the overtake increase.
The Tennessee native’s different victory at St Louis wasn’t with out controversy, both. He was the chief for a late restart when a pile-up behind took out Penske teammate Energy, who squared the blame at Newgarden.
Even with six podiums on the 12 months, it actually was a run of feast or famine. An eighth-place end within the championship marked Newgarden’s worst consequence since becoming a member of Penske in 2017.
The run of excellent outcomes have been hindered by eight finishes exterior of the highest 10, together with 4 of twenty fifth or worse. A two-time collection champion, Newgarden’s tempo was immense at occasions, however the errors, both self-inflicted within the race or qualifying, proved an excessive amount of to beat.
Though his run because the “Oval King” is now being challenged by Group Penske teammate McLaughlin and Arrow McLaren’s O’Ward, Newgarden remained an enormous risk. He turned the primary back-to-back Indy 500 winner since Helio Castroneves in 2001-02.
Probably the most profitable driver within the area once more confirmed off Dixon doing Dixon issues
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
There have been flashes of Scott Dixon doing Dixon issues in 2024, however there have been additionally loads of weird outcomes that in the end left him out of an opportunity for a seventh collection championship.
The great was undoubtedly the masterclass at Lengthy Seashore, the place the Chip Ganassi Racing stalwart took benefit of an early warning to go onto an alternate technique and delivered by hitting an enormous gas quantity whereas keeping off a charging Colton Herta. Dixon additionally delivered one other victory in a moist and wild spherical in Detroit, overcoming the carnage that set off quite a few cautions.
The last word punch to the nether areas probably occurred at Mid-Ohio when a hybrid situation — within the debut of the up to date energy unit — struck through the tempo laps within the buildup to the inexperienced flag. Even with that consequence, nonetheless, the New Zealander ended the 12 months with simply 5 podiums and 7 high fives in 17 rounds — a substantial hole to Ganassi teammate Palou. Moreover, he had an uncharacteristic 5 finishes of fifteenth or worse.
Dixon ended the 12 months sixth within the championship standings, which marked the primary time since 2016 he completed exterior the highest 5; that 12 months, he additionally completed sixth.
5. Pato O’Ward
O’Ward endured a dramatic marketing campaign filled with success and heartbreak however stays the most effective drivers within the area
Picture by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Photos
There was no scarcity of drama surrounding Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward in 2024. Though there have been three wins after a barren 2023, he ended the 12 months one place decrease within the standings in fifth.
The Mexican was promoted to victory in St. Petersburg after Newgarden was disqualified, however then went on to file three mediocre outcomes of thirteenth or worse over the subsequent three points-paying occasions. It wasn’t till the Indy 500 that issues have been again on monitor.
O’Ward pulled off a last-lap cross on Newgarden to take the lead, solely to lose the race in heartbreaking trend as Newgarden responded with a courageous exterior cross two corners later into Flip 3. It was an emotional loss for O’Ward, nevertheless it ignited a hearth for the second half of the season that included claiming the primary win of IndyCar’s hybrid period at Mid-Ohio after keeping off Palou.
He additionally handed IndyCar one among — maybe the — most embarrassing moments of the 12 months by successful the opening race at Milwaukee lower than 24 hours after Penske Leisure CEO Mark Miles shared controversial feedback concerning his reputation, which got here in mild of the collection being crushed to going to Mexico by NASCAR. All in all, although, outcomes have been extra of the identical as random mechanical mishaps plagued his probabilities of a very particular season.
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Again in victory lane and within the hunt for the title, Energy was nicely and actually again
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
2024 kicked off with the 43-year-old Aussie again to mirroring the tempo that helped him win the 2022 title. Will Energy was a transparent drawback to take care of after three runner-up finishes within the opening 4 rounds, earlier than including three wins and one other runner-up to convey a season tally of seven podiums – tying Group Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin for many within the collection.
There was a late surge for a potential third title, which was wiped away within the season finale after a seatbelt situation hindered any probability to dethrone Palou. It was greater than the random defective situation at Nashville, although. Energy’s season additionally had loads of snags, together with clashing with McLaughlin in Toronto.
Whereas working fourth in St. Louis, he was additionally the harmless bystander of an odd late restart by Newgarden, which resulted in a crash and adopted with an emotional scene of displaying Newgarden he was ‘No. 1’.
There was a transparent probability to take the championship lead within the penultimate spherical at Milwaukee after Palou was hindered by a battery situation, however Energy’s mid-race spin wiped it away. It was additionally the primary time since 2008 that Energy, the motive force with extra pole positions to his identify than another, failed to say a high spot in qualifying.
3. Colton Herta
Herta shrugged off two years of struggles to get again to the entrance of the collection
Picture by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Photos
It was a renaissance marketing campaign for Andretti World’s main man. Not solely did Colton Herta rebound after two consecutive down years mired tenth within the total standings, he did so in spectacular model.
Early consistency that included two podiums within the opening 4 rounds was derailed after crashing out whereas working second within the Indy 500 after which once more after a blunder in Detroit, however the California native was capable of persevere with a masterful drive in Toronto and ended a 41-race winless drought that dated again to 2022.
He then went on to attain 4 high fives over the past 5 rounds, together with a maiden oval victory within the Nashville season finale. His two wins and 6 podiums put him a career-best second within the championship.
Total, there was so much to understand as Herta demonstrated a distinct degree of maturity this previous season. He shook off any doubts of his oval prowess after out-dueling O’Ward in Nashville, whereas additionally not permitting dangerous outcomes to fester in a month-long slog.
If Herta can proceed this degree of type and even add to it, he may show to be a handful for the remainder of the paddock.
2. Scott McLaughlin
The Penske scandal ended up costing McLaughlin the IndyCar title
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
There could be no greater “what may have been” story of this previous season than Scott McLaughlin.
The ex-Supercars legend took a big step ahead by capturing his maiden oval win within the opening race of the Iowa double-header, then furthered it by bagging one other within the nightcap of Milwaukee’s doubleheader. He led a series-high 637 laps, with Energy the subsequent closest at 366.
McLaughlin additionally tied the mark with Energy of a series-leading seven podiums in points-paying rounds. That quantity may have been increased if not for his position in Penske’s push-to-pass scandal in St. Pete, which wiped away a third-place consequence together with teammate Newgarden’s win.
Regardless of the penalty, which got here 45 days later main into the third spherical at Barber, McLaughlin responded by blocking out the noise and claimed one among his 5 poles of the 12 months earlier than taking an authoritative victory. McLaughlin’s three wins tied him with Energy and O’Ward for many within the collection in 2024.
If the rostrum lead to St. Petersburg was upheld, with how the remainder of the season transpired, McLaughlin would have drawn degree with Palou at season’s finish with 540 factors. However the Kiwi would have claimed the championship through tiebreaker by advantage of getting extra wins.
1. Alex Palou
Palou turned the primary driver to safe back-to-back titles in over a decade
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
Alex Palouwas as soon as once more in prime type in 2024. Coming in because the defending collection champion, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver went on to grow to be the primary to go back-to-back since Dario Franchitti’s three-peat from 2009-11.
This previous 12 months Palou netted two victories, six podiums and three poles within the 17 points-paying rounds, with a stellar present of ending within the high 5 in 13 races. Moreover, he was untouchable within the $1 Million Problem; main each session, beginning on pole and main each lap within the warmth race and most important occasion in IndyCar’s non-points spherical at The Thermal Membership.
The primary of Palou’s moments on the highest step of the rostrum exterior of the exhibition race got here on the Indianapolis street course. He overcame a nasty begin from pole and utilized his tempo on in- and out-laps to search out the entrance of the sector.
The second got here at Laguna Seca, the place he led early earlier than pulling off a wild cross within the Corkscrew on Herta — paying homage to the same transfer Alex Zanardi placed on Herta’s father, Bryan, almost 30 years in the past. From there, the Spaniard fended off rivals on a late restart to cap an outstanding victory.
His wonderful type previous to a battery glitch on the second Milwaukee race and an underwhelming Nashville finale meant Palou could not be caught and has firmly entered the dialogue as one among IndyCar’s true greats.
Palou solely gained twice in points-paying occasions, however was nonetheless on the head of the pack
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
