Alex Palou.
For 4 of the final 5 seasons, that identify has struck worry into the hearts of different opponents within the IndyCar Collection. And never essentially as a result of the Spaniard is ruthless to go up towards, however just so unflappable he may simply be mistaken for a cyborg.
The one time Palou wasn’t among the many frontrunners on the common was throughout his rookie marketing campaign with Dale Coyne Racing in 2020. It solely took till the third race, although, for rivals to be placed on discover after he earned a podium at Street America. Later that yr throughout Indianapolis 500 qualifying, he drew the eye of crew proprietor Chip Ganassi, alongside together with his group’s managing director Mike Hull, when he peddled Coyne’s Honda-powered machine to a seventh-place begin regardless of struggling a damaged weight jacker after the primary lap — which was the quickest lap among the many Quick 9 battling for pole that day.
When Felix Rosenqvist left Chip Ganassi Racing and signed with Arrow McLaren on the finish of 2020, Palou grew to become the candidate chosen as his alternative. That call got here with a direct return on funding after successful in his CGR debut at Barber Motorsports Park, and doing so by keeping off two legends of the game in Crew Penske’s Will Energy and Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon. Palou was practically untouchable the remainder of the way in which, concluding 2021 with three wins and eight podiums in 16 rounds en path to his maiden IndyCar title.
Then got here the 2022 season, with a lot fascinating contract drama surrounding Palou that it continues to linger into the current day. Within the midst of unsuccessfully defending the championship (ending the yr with one win, six podiums and ending fifth within the total standings), he was thrust into what stays a weird and complicated state of affairs when, on July 27, CGR introduced a contract extension with Palou, just for him to rebuke the declare by way of social media hours later whereas additionally confirming his departure in favor of McLaren Racing at season’s finish. McLaren then introduced his arrival moments later, with no affirmation if he could be driving for its IndyCar department — Arrow McLaren — or be placed on the quick observe to Method 1. The state of affairs led to CGR submitting a civil lawsuit towards its driver, who continued to drive for the crew. An settlement between all events was reached by the center of September, which allowed Palou to stay with Ganassi for 2023 whereas additionally being set in a reserve function with McLaren’s F1 outfit and testing its MCL35 earlier than a full-time change to the group in 2024.
Nevertheless, the deal fell aside in August of 2023 after Palou determined to again out of his contract with McLaren and signal a three-year extension to stick with Ganassi. The fallout from it led to McLaren Racing suing Palou for roughly $23 million — a quantity that has since escalated to $30 million — to recoup prices that included testing, discovering a alternative and even a complicated wage of $400,000, amongst different notables. Palou’s reasoning for the breach of contract got here all the way down to feeling solely a reserve function could be obtainable to him in F1, particularly with McLaren’s F1 lineup set with Lando Norris signed by 2025 and Oscar Piastri the top of 2026. In flip, the choice was to stay in IndyCar.
By managing the psychological and emotional toll of the contract and lawsuit spectacle, Palou went out to file probably the most dominant seasons within the historical past of North America’s premier open-wheel championship. He captured 5 wins, 10 podiums and 17 high eight finishes in 17 rounds to lock up the 2023 title within the penultimate spherical in Portland — a feat not completed since Sébastien Bourdais in 2007.
Alex Palou’s total stats
YEAR
RACES
WINS
PODIUMS
POLES
LAPS
LAPS LED
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING
2020
14/14
0
1
0
1581
1
16
2021
16/16
3
8
1
1710
137
1
2022
17/17
1
6
0
2246
173
5
2023
17/17
5
10
2
2258
379
1
2024
17/17
2
6
3
2446
263
1
Though this yr Palou wasn’t fairly as dominant, he nonetheless netted two wins and 6 podiums in 17 rounds to hoist one other Astor Cup Trophy. He additionally gained the $1 Million Problem non-points exhibition at The Thermal Membership.
The most recent achievement has seen an astonishing record of accolades for Palou, together with being one in every of solely 13 drivers to win three or extra IndyCar championships. He was additionally simply the seventh to win three titles over a four-year span, and the primary to seize back-to-back championships since Dario Franchitti — additionally with Ganassi — gained three straight from 2009-11.
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, podium, Dario Franchitti
Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Photographs
And at 27 years, 5 months and 14 days outdated, Palou grew to become the second-youngest driver to win three IndyCar Championships. Solely Sam Hornish Jr. was youthful after claiming his third at 27 years, two months and eight days outdated in 2006.
Whereas not a totally easy comparability resulting from how a lot the schedule has modified over the previous twenty years, Palou is a three-time sequence champion regardless of by no means having but gained on an oval, with all 11 victories approaching highway and avenue circuits. Hornish, in the meantime, sports activities 19 profession wins (twenty third all-time) however all of these got here on ovals, together with his highest highway course end being a runner-up at Watkins Glen in 2007 – his final season within the sequence.
Maybe probably the most outstanding feat up to now, although, is how Palou has completed a lot regardless of being in IndyCar solely 5 years. He solely has 81 profession begins, however has gained in 13.58% of them and stood on the rostrum a whopping 38.27% of the time. Moreover, with 17 races on the schedule for 2025, it’s baffling to suppose he gained’t even hit the century mark for profession begins till 2026.
Roughly an hour after Palou captured his third and gave CGR its sixteenth title in Nashville, Ganassi was requested about his driver’s demeanor and if anybody compares.
“You wish to make the plain comparisons, however I do not know which you can,” Ganassi mentioned. “At his age to be doing what he is doing, having the expertise that he has, particularly with the sequence the way in which it’s at the moment now with some ovals, these guys aren’t precisely oval meisters which are excelling within the sequence at the moment. There are some higher oval racers on the market. I am positive he’ll let you know that.
“So it is an fascinating sequence now. It is an fascinating combine.
“To have a man like Alex in your crew, I used to be saying to any individual, three championships in 4 years, I imply, I do not know what number of guys have three championships, not that many. He is in fairly rarefied air proper now, as they are saying. His identify needs to be amongst and definitely within the dialog of the nice drivers. He is definitely within the dialog of the best.”
Ganassi didn’t shrink back from admitting Palou has to this point exceeded expectations. When Palou joined CGR, Dixon was recent off including to his personal legend with a sixth sequence championship. Because the two have been teammates, although, Dixon’s legacy has been held in verify whereas Palou continues to broaden his personal.
“I had no thought what three of the following 4 years had been going to be like,” Ganassi mentioned, recalling the preliminary signing of Palou.
“If I instructed you I had some other thought or expectation, I would be mendacity to you. I had no thought it might be this a lot enjoyable and this profitable.”
Neither did we, Chip.
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