Talking with Motorsport.com’s Matt Weaver, Alex Palou provided a candid look into his unimaginable profession as an IndyCar driver. In 2025, he earned his fourth IndyCar title within the final 5 years, and have become an Indy 500 legend.
Palou mentioned quite a lot of subjects all through the 15-minute interview, together with when he selected to turn into a race automotive driver, his first crash, overcoming a worry of ovals, and turning into one of many sport’s biggest drivers.
At one level, he credited his time in Tremendous Components as one of many essential components behind his present skill-level. He spent the 2019 season there, successful at Fuji and ending the 12 months third within the championship standings.
“There’s actually high-grip tracks, tremendous technical, no runoff areas, and all of the Japanese drivers — they solely have these seven, eight tracks, so that they know these tracks amazingly,” stated Palou. “They know each bump, they understand how the observe evolves. They know a lot, the extent they compete at is 100% since observe. The automotive is a type of vehicles that has a lot downforce, no weight, quite a lot of energy … I am actually assured that I would not be as quick or as assured as I’m at present with out racing in Tremendous Components.”
And regardless of his dominance, he’s all the time pushing to discover a new restrict, and gaining a higher edge over the competitors. And whereas trophies and checkered flags are nice, it is a lot greater than that for the Spaniard.
“To get one other one of many Astor Cup is the last word aim, however I do not suppose it adjustments whether or not I get three, or 4 or 5. I feel it is actually cool and a tremendous profession, nevertheless it’s extra about how a lot enjoyable I can have whereas I do it, how a lot I can push myself, and the way a lot reward we get on the finish. But it surely’s not the very fact of getting a trophy.”
His aim for subsequent 12 months is solely to maintain successful, however he does not count on the dominance of 2025 to final.
“The 12 months we had has been magical. I loved each single second of it. I want I might encapsulate slightly little bit of this 12 months and simply drink it every now and then, as a result of I do know that I am in all probability by no means going to succeed in this degree of happiness. It may be exhausting, however I simply need to get as shut as I can subsequent 12 months to this.”
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
Picture by: Penske Leisure
One factor everybody is aware of about is Palou’s dream of turning into a Components 1 driver, however he has a sophisticated historical past with that particular dream. It has pale away and are available again once more a number of occasions all through his profession.
“I began dreaming about F1 once I was 5 or 6,” defined Palou. “However very early on, that dream went away. There is no method. I would like this, this, and that. And for me, the dream was to turn into an expert go-kart racer — truthfully. That is what I believed was the best degree I would obtain.”
Nonetheless, the dream didn’t keep gone for lengthy, as Palou famous. “I began in single seaters, (and) that dream appeared once more and it was like whoa, possibly this works out and we will have an opportunity. However then I had two tough years in GP3 … as quickly as I needed to to go to Japan, that dream was shut down once more.”
The will to pursue a profession in F1 returned as soon as extra after he grew to become an IndyCar champion for the primary time, however IndyCar has remained the true focus for him.
“For me, coming to the US, the dream was IndyCar. That was my dream. After I was in Japan, the dream was not F1. It was IndyCar — that was the aim.”
Palou, who gained the 2025 Indianapolis 500, additionally admitted to being ‘very scared’ in his first laps round an oval, which you’ll be able to learn extra about HERE.
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