Just under a day after clinching victory at the prestigious Indianapolis 500, Alex Palou took a moment to reflect on his monumental achievement during an exclusive interview. The driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, who had just crossed the iconic yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was asked to summarize his win in a single word. After a brief pause, he settled on the term “spectacular.”
“I only managed to sleep for four hours before heading back to IMS for more photos,” Palou shared, his excitement palpable. “I haven’t had a moment to relax all day. I think I had about three minutes to grab a bite to eat.”
Palou, a seasoned competitor with three championships in the last four years in the IndyCar series, understands the significance of winning. Yet, he recognizes that the Indy 500 title holds a special place in motorsport history. “The media coverage has been immense,” he noted. “Fans who typically don’t follow motorsports are taking notice. While IndyCar championships are valued, the prestige of the Indy 500 is on another level, especially internationally. It’s been incredible to see the recognition.”
The significance of his Indianapolis 500 victory was further underscored when he received a congratulatory letter from the King and Queen of Spain. “I can only imagine how challenging it is to receive something like that,” he remarked with a grin.
Palou admitted that he is still coming to terms with his accomplishment. He recalled a moment in the middle of the night when it hit him that he was the champion of the Indianapolis 500, which made it difficult for him to go back to sleep. “My wife and I exchanged looks before bed, saying, ‘Can you believe we are the Indianapolis 500 champions?’” he recounted. “After that, I fell asleep, but around 3 AM, I woke up, reflecting on our victory. It took quite a while for me to drift off again because I was just so thrilled about what we had achieved.”
The defining moment of Palou’s race came with just 14 laps remaining when he executed a surprising maneuver to overtake Marcus Ericsson in Turn One. Following this pivotal pass, he successfully maintained the lead, aided by the draft from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing drivers Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster, who were striving to avoid going a lap down. “I sensed it could be the defining move, but more importantly, I thought it was a game changer,” Palou explained regarding that critical moment. “I didn’t want to wait until the end. I think I caught them off guard, which was my intention: to pass when they were least expecting it and hold onto first place.”
Despite his incredible performance, Palou didn’t believe he or Ericsson were the fastest drivers toward the end of the Indy 500. He acknowledged that things could have gotten tricky had they started battling for the lead. “You never really know until you’re in that situation. I believe our car was quick, but neither Marcus nor I were the fastest up front. There were other cars that had significant speed when they were at the front. I’m thankful that everything went smoothly for us.”
Reflecting on the race, Palou noted, “There were moments when I understood it wouldn’t be straightforward, but I always had faith that if we executed everything correctly—our strategy and pit stops—we had a car capable of winning.”
Securing the Indianapolis 500 title marked Palou’s first victory on an oval track, a milestone he had been striving for as a three-time IndyCar champion. His previous close call came in 2021 when he finished second to Hélio Castroneves in the same race.
When asked about the pressure he felt to win on an oval, Palou responded, “To an extent, yes, but not overwhelmingly. Deep down, I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d have the chance to win on an oval. Now that I’ve achieved it, the feeling is incredibly fulfilling. I’ve won on an oval, a street course, and a road course. I’ve claimed the 500, and I’ve been a champion. This isn’t the end; we have to keep pushing for more wins, but I’m definitely riding high on this victory.”
The IndyCar season continues without pause. Palou is slated to race at the Detroit Grand Prix in the upcoming weekend, aiming to add another win to his already impressive record. “I hope we can keep the momentum going,” he said. “I know the next few days will be hectic. We have a celebratory dinner shortly, followed by a two-day media tour in New York. After that, it’s back to Indianapolis and then on to Detroit. It’s going to be a whirlwind.”
Indeed, these are busy days for Palou, but he would undoubtedly welcome the chance to relive this experience next year.
