Will anybody be capable to cease Alex Palou in IndyCar this yr? It would not look attainable for the time being after the driving force of the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing automobile scored a convincing victory within the Kids’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park, ending 16 seconds forward of the runner-up Arrow McLaren No. 7 pushed by Christian Lundgaard.
Palou started constructing on his beautiful efficiency after successful the pole place on Saturday, and drove an ideal caution-free race on Sunday en path to his 14th IndyCar Collection win, and his third in 4 races in 2025 — a season wherein his worst consequence remains to be a second-place end in final month’s spherical at Lengthy Seashore.
“It is most likely my greatest race or my greatest weekend in IndyCar, not solely in IndyCar. After I say IndyCar, (I imply) it might be like my profession”, Palou stated in the course of the post-race press convention.
“Getting the pole when it was all the things so tight, getting it on the final second, after which as we speak the truth that we needed to run used tires which might be used from qualifying, they aren’t in good situation. They’re higher than primaries, however I believe everyone that was on the Quick Six was in a small drawback than everyone else To nonetheless be capable to hold a very good efficiency, then additionally to do it on the blacks, on the primaries, was nice. Yeah, truthfully I felt it was most likely one among my greatest races”, he added.
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Whereas he talked about proper after the checkered flag that the race felt “a bit lonely,” Palou emphasised the challenges he confronted throughout his Sunday afternoon drive and why it was nonetheless very troublesome to perform his feat at a monitor as demanding as Barber.
“It was extra bodily than the rest. Like, we at all times know that Barber might be one of many extra bodily tracks that we have now. Most likely, yeah, I might say it is probably the most bodily demanding for the drivers. Particularly as we speak, as a result of we had no cautions, we needed to go as quick as we may. We did not actually have a lot tire deg, so that you needed to push,” he defined.
“Bodily it was powerful. But additionally the focus, it is at all times troublesome, proper? It is a lengthy race. It is powerful. You push as exhausting as you possibly can, however the automobile would not prefer it in the direction of the top of the tire life.”
Because it stands, Palou left Barber with a 60-point cushion over Lundgaard and appears unstoppable, however he is not taking his wonderful second within the IndyCar Collection with no consideration.
“I do not suppose I am in a standard place. I am conscious that I am very fortunate to be within the place I am in as we speak, to be surrounded by an excellent staff, to have the ability to compete for wins each single weekend. Yeah, I do not know the way lengthy that is going to final, however hopefully it should be a very long time.
The 2025 IndyCar season continues subsequent weekend with the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway highway course, a spot the place Palou already has two wins, together with final time from pole, and he has no plans to cease.
“Yeah, truthfully Indy highway course we have been actually, actually robust there previously. Hopefully we are able to keep our efficiency there. It is at all times powerful there. I might say it is the hardest place as a result of for some cause everyone has a very good automobile there. You must work so exhausting to get into the quick 12. The margins are virtually nothing, like half a second, 1/tenth of a second. The identical to get the pole or to remain in entrance. It is powerful. Hopefully we are able to proceed with the shape we have now had to this point this yr.
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Frederico Faturos
IndyCar
Alex Palou
Chip Ganassi Racing
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