Another IndyCar Race, Another Alex Palou Win
Alex Palou’s imperious form continues, as he claimed yet another victory—his fourth win in five races this season and his second in the space of six days. The only blemish on his otherwise perfect record was a second-place finish at Long Beach. His dominance is reaching historic levels, and even he is struggling to grasp the magnitude of it. “I cannot describe the amazing season we’ve had so far, I owe everything to the team… it’s amazing. It’s unbelievable,” he said.
Starting from pole, Palou edged out Graham Rahal by over three tenths in qualifying. But it was Rahal, running on a fresh set of soft tyres, who seized the lead at Turn 1 with an aggressive move around the outside. He would hold that position for the majority of the race, looking composed up front despite Palou lurking just behind.
However, the writing was on the wall for Rahal as the race unfolded. His tyre strategy left him vulnerable in the closing stages, running on the slower compound as others, including Palou, switched to fresher, faster rubber. Things went from bad to worse when a late-race caution—triggered by a mechanical failure on David Malukas’ A.J. Foyt car—bunched up the field. Suddenly, Rahal had a queue of soft-tyre runners stacked behind him.
By the checkered flag, Rahal had fallen to sixth place. Still, given the tough start to the season for both himself and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, it marked a strong turnaround. “I tried to just drive as flawlessly as I could because I knew that was the only way to beat him,” Rahal admitted, knowing even that wasn’t enough against Palou’s relentless pace.
The caution period also offered a glimmer of drama, with Pato O’Ward and Will Power—both on the same tyre strategy as Palou—lining up directly behind him at the restart. Hopes of a battle were short-lived. The Chip Ganassi driver launched cleanly, quickly pulling out a 5.5-second gap over O’Ward’s McLaren by the finish line. His speed and composure are beginning to look untouchable.
It was a frustrating day for Josef Newgarden, the two-time Indy500 winner and 2017 and 2019 series champion. After qualifying sixth, he was forced to start from the rear due to a pre-race trip down pit lane to fix an MGU issue. “Just pretty disappointing,” he summed up. He recovered to finish 12th, but it was a day that failed to deliver on early promise—another tough outing in a season that’s yet to spark for the Penske driver.
Elsewhere in the field, Scott Dixon once again showcased his legendary racecraft, charging from 16th on the grid to finish fifth. His fellow Kiwi, Marcus Armstrong, delivered an impressive P7 for Meyer Shank Racing.
Another standout performance came from Rinus VeeKay in the Dale Coyne Racing entry. Building on a strong fourth-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park last weekend, the Dutchman gained 15 positions to finish ninth, just behind Kyle Kirkwood’s Andretti car.
Unfortunately for the championship chase, Palou’s win has blown the standings wide open. He now leads by an eye-watering 97 points after only five rounds—the best start to a season by any IndyCar driver since A.J. Foyt in the 1960s. While the fight for first might be slipping away, the battle for second is heating up. Just three points separate Kirkwood, Christian Lundgaard, and O’Ward.
If you're unfamiliar with IndyCar, May is the sport’s crown jewel. The legendary Indy500 takes place every Memorial Day weekend, often deciding championships and delivering unforgettable moments. With qualifying speeds hitting 235 mph and an entire month of build-up, it’s no surprise that NBC’s Leigh Diffey has dubbed it “the greatest spectacle in racing.” If you’ve never watched it, now is the time.