Palou’s Near Perfect Season Continues At Indy GP
(Photo by Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment)
By Dennis Krause
Alex Palou continued his near perfect start to the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season by winning Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Palou has now won four of the first five races of the season. The race he didn’t win, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, he finished second.
Palou is the first driver since Sebastien Bourdais in 2006 to win four of the first five races of an INDYCAR SERIES season.
With his third straight Sonsio Grand Prix win, Palou, the three-time and two-time reigning series champion now leads by this year’s championship by 97-points over Long Beach winner Kyle Kirkwood in the standings, nearly two races worth of points.
“Yeah, I mean, it's crazy,” said the driver of the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. “I'm sad that it's going to end at some point, and it's going to be tough in my career to feel as good as I feel now. I know that, and that makes me sad, but happy at the same time.
“It's amazing. It's amazing. I know I'm with the best team out here, and they give me the best tools they have, the best people to fight for races every single weekend, and it feels sweet.”
(Photo by Paul Hurley/Penske Entertainment
As Palou says, he knows his streak is going to end at some point. But, for all of the success he’s had in INDYCAR in five seasons, he’s yet to win on an oval. Would he be crushed if he doesn’t win the Indianapolis 500 in two weeks time?
“I mean, there's high chances of that, but hopefully you can change it. What if it doesn't end, and suddenly we win the Indy 500? That would be pretty sweet. The normal thing would be not to win it. So if we can make it happen, it would be super special.
“I think we've done everything that we could in terms of results and the team as well working with our speedway car. I'm actually thinking to put this car with a road course wins to see if it's going to be as fast at the speedway because these cars is really, really fast.
“Hopefully we can battle. I think the Indy 500 is a different game. I don't think we're the favorites, but we're going to try everything we have.”
(Photo by Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment)
Sonsio Grand Prix runner-up, Pato O’Ward, nearly won the 500 last year and has crashed trying to win it before. The driver of the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet knows that even with all the success Palou has enjoyed so far this season, it may not matter in two weeks.
“Yeah, it's the greatest race, but I've finished in the wall before, and I've also finished almost winning. I don't know what it feels like yet (to win it). The Indy 500 is its own beast, yeah.”
Palou feels this year’s 500 would be the perfect time to get his first oval win.
“Yes, it's perfect timing to do that on the same week as the Indy 500. Yes, I would love that. If that happens, I'll get crazy. Like, very crazy. If that doesn't happen, we will see, but if that happens, I don't know. Yeah, things are going to fly, flames here, flames there. It's going to be amazing.
“Everybody in Indiana will know that I'm an Indy 500 champion if that happens. Hopefully one day.”
(Photo by Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment)
Team Penske’s Will Power finished third, his best result of the season and the106th podium finish in his illustrious career. As someone who’s been around for a long time, the driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet can appreciate what Palou is doing this season.
“Yeah, I said it to him. I said, Man, I've been around a long time, and in this field in this time, it is amazing to see something like that. It really is. It is incredibly tough just to win a race in INDYCAR now.
“So to go, is it five, four wins and one second in five races? That is stout. It's very impressive. It's something we'll look back on. As much as we want to beat him, I have appreciation for people that are very good at their craft, and he is extremely well-rounded and good at his craft. He's one of the best.”
Power says Palou’s incredible start to the season is making everyone else work harder.
“Yeah, you're definitely taking a very close look at what he's doing, what the team is doing. I would say the last four races have been absolutely solid for me, if he hadn't been winning. Like, they're all top 5s basically. One fifth, sixth, and fourth or a third. All finishes that make up for a great championship. I'm yet to finish ahead of Palou.
“But, yes, it makes everyone work harder. It really does. It's just when you struggle, everyone has a really close look at what the other guy is doing. It's just clicking so well for him right now. Maybe it's a bit of the tire we're running this year with a heavy car just suits his style. Sometimes it's funny. I've seen that over the years different tires and different sort of -- as we've changed the car, just suits different drivers. They have a very specific driving style that suits a certain way, but yeah, it's absolutely phenomenal what he's doing.”
And if Palou is able to pull off a win in the 500? Power thinks that would be one of the greatest moments in motorsports.
“The 500, yeah. That will be a very different story. I would be shocked if he dominates that one. I think he'll be up there, but so will a lot of other people.
“That would be something if he went on and won that. That would be one of the greatest motorsport moments I've seen in my career I think.”
Practice for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge starts Tuesday.
Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.