INDIANAPOLIS — The key to Alex Palou’s historic success in IndyCar was on full show along with his newest victory in Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
As an alternative of dominant a race by beginning on the pole and main practically each lap aside from pit stops as he did final Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park, Palou’s win on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway highway course was far more calculated.
Palou began on the pole, but it surely was entrance row starter Graham Rahal that went to the surface to blow previous him in Flip 1 on the opening lap.
Rahal would lead 49 laps within the race and seemed to be on his method to lastly break into Victory Lane.
Palou, nevertheless, might have mentioned, “Not so quick, my good friend.”
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver was content material to drive behind Rahal for many of the race, which featured a brand new IndyCar tire requirement the place groups had to make use of two units of Firestone Blacks and two units of Firestone Reds.
Palou handed Rahal in Flip 7 on Lap 58. He pitted on Lap 65.
Rahal’s closing set of tires had been Blacks. Palou saved his finest set of Reds for the tip.
The highest three drivers within the race together with Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren and Will Energy of Group Penske used the identical tire technique. That included beginning the race on scuffed Reds, then Blacks on the following two stints, and completed on new Reds.
That proved to be the profitable technique.
As soon as within the lead, Palou was in management, even throughout an IndyCar rarity in 2025.
A yellow flag waved for the primary time in 408 laps when David Malukas went off target in Flip 8 and stalled. It was the second yellow flag of the season and the primary since Laps 1-6 within the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was March 2.
That arrange a restart on Lap 72 and regardless of O’Ward’s finest efforts, Palou was capable of maintain the lead and drive to a 5.4840-second win over O’Ward’s Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
“I’d say the primary stint we had used tires, whereas Graham had new tires. In order that’s why he was pulling much more, and I used to be struggling so much there,” Palou defined. “I actually struggled.
“Then we did an excellent job within the pit cease. Then we sort of, like, chased Graham again. Once I was behind him, I wished to overhaul him, however I feel the difficulty was that we additionally had visitors. Sure, he couldn’t transfer sooner, however on the similar time I acquired their tier from two vehicles. So, I couldn’t actually transfer there. I used to be caught. I began hurting my tires.
“Then that’s it. We each pitted on the similar lap. We each pitted and went out collectively, and immediately I caught him again when he began combating the tires.
“However, yeah, I used to be making an attempt. I used to be not making an attempt to be affected person. I used to be affected person, however I used to be making an attempt my finest to attempt to overtake him.”
It was Palou’s fifteenth profession IndyCar win, his fourth win in 5 races within the 2025 NTT IndyCar Sequence season and he has 97-point lead over Kyle Kirkwood and 98 over Christian Lundgaard heading into the 109th Indianapolis 500.
O’Ward’s second-place end got here on the IMS highway course. He completed second to Josef Newgarden in final yr’s 108th Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the oval.
Two totally different race programs, however the identical venue.
“We fought arduous at present,” O’Ward mentioned. “Began eighth, and I used to be fairly pleased with the steadiness of my automotive. Simply missed it there in qualifying with the problems that we had in a straight line, however Ian mounted it. It was good to have good tempo.
“By way of technique it was good to be in a boring gasoline save, ‘observe the chief’ kind state of affairs. It was good to have the ability to push and undercut, overcut.
“I feel the tire rule, at the least from our aspect, that was fairly eventful, I’d say. I’d be eager to seeing that in Detroit as a result of the inexperienced tire can be nice.”
Energy used to dominate this race within the early years, however he stays a drive as he proved Saturday with one other podium end for Group Penske.
“It was only a stable day,” Energy mentioned. “I didn’t move anybody on observe. It was the identical as Barber. Didn’t move a single automotive. Simply spent the entire day type of like in an excellent pit cease technique and pace and type of overcut there on the finish. Received us a few positions.
“Yeah, it was a really uneventful day. It was eventful within the automotive catching and driving arduous the entire day, however so far as chopping via the sector or something. I imply, whenever you begin seventh, clearly it’s not such as you’re capable of move lots of people.
“However, yeah, it’s a really stout subject. Individuals don’t make errors. Even the one who finishes final — I don’t know who completed final, however I do know after I lapped Abel, he caught behind me on the similar tempo, precisely the identical area. Hardly dropped off.
“It’s only a stout subject with nice groups and drivers. Possibly we have to strive a lock-out push-to-pass system the place you get inside a second and it locks the man out in entrance and create passing like that, but it surely’s cool to see. I’m undecided what it seems like on TV, however yeah, I feel this was step one, strive one thing with tires, however I feel you must do one thing extra.”
Scott McLaughlin of Group Penske was fourth within the No. 3 Chevrolet with Scott Dixon rounding out the highest 5 within the No. 9 PNC Financial institution Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.
After main many of the race, Rahal completed sixth.
“I’m genuinely happy with the hassle,” Rahal mentioned. “I don’t assume I locked up as soon as, I don’t assume I put one wheel unsuitable, I defended as finest I might, however the Ganassi vehicles are in a league of their very own.
“The grip they’ve; their potential to observe so shut. We tried our greatest and I’m happy with the hassle of the Fifth Third Financial institution guys. I attempted to drive as flawlessly as I might as a result of I knew that was the one method to beat them however sadly, we weren’t in a position to try this at present. We’ll maintain working arduous. We’ve made features and we are going to proceed to attempt to shut the hole.”
Every part is working for Alex Palou, however even he is aware of a streak like this doesn’t final ceaselessly.
“I imply, it’s loopy,” he mentioned. “I’m unhappy that it’s going to finish in some unspecified time in the future, and it’s going to be powerful in my profession to really feel pretty much as good as I really feel now. I do know that, and that makes me unhappy, however pleased on the similar time.
“It’s wonderful. It’s wonderful. I do know I’m with the perfect group out right here, and so they give me the perfect instruments they’ve, the perfect folks to battle for races each single weekend, and it feels candy.”
