Race Recap: Alex Palou Wins The 2025 Indianapolis 500
Alex Palou has won the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 for Chip Ganassi Racing Honda after a late race overtake on former teammate Marcus Ericsson, becoming the first Spanish driver to cross the chequered flag first at the brickyard.
The three time INDYCAR champion adds victory at the famous race to his collection of wins this year, making it five from six in the 2025 season.
Palou made the move for victory on lap 185 of the race when he dove down the inside of Ericsson’s Andretti Global car into the first corner. He was able to hold on for victory, utilising the slipstream from the back markers in front of him.
“I cannot believe it, what an amazing day” said an out of breath Palou in his first interview after becoming an Indy500 champion. “There were some moments when I felt really good in the race but at the end I wasn’t sure if I was going to pass Marcus. I have already lost my voice and I haven’t even started celebrating.”
In similar fashion to 2024, the race start was delayed due to weather, but certainly not to the same extent. This led to a slippery surface for the installation laps which heartbreakingly caught out Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin. He hit the wall on the main straight and ended his race before it had started. The Kiwi was visibly distraught before and after leaving his car, describing it as “the worst moment of [his] life.”
Marco Andretti did manage to make the race start, but did not make it past the first corner of green flag racing after contact with Jack Harvey. It continues the infamous ‘Andretti Curse’ where a member of the Andretti family has not won the Indy500 since 1969.
Scott Dixon also had his race heavily affected by brake problems, but it was chaos in the pit lane that was most prevalent over the next period in the race. It started with Andretti Global’s Colton Herta picking up a penalty for speeding, followed by a stall by Kyle Larson.
The biggest pitlane incidents of the race were still to follow. Rinus Veekay had a suspected brake failure upon entry and spun into the pit wall at 120mph. Veekay’s former team, Ed Carpenter Racing, suffered similar fortune when Alexander Rossi’s car ignited after pitting due to an oil leak. Rossi’ fueller Mike Miller was caught up in the flames but thankfully avoided any injuries.
The worst was to follow, when another brake related issue, this time for pole sitter Robert Shwartzman, sent him flying into four members of his Prema pit crew. Fortunately, no major injuries were reported, but it was the end of the afternoon for the record breaking qualifier.
Larson’s race went from bad to worse when he spun upon a caution restart on Lap 92 and hit the wall, collecting Kyffin Simpson and Sting Ray Robb in the process. Larson’s second attempt at the famous double, completing all 1100 miles of both the Indy500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, had ended prematurely and he set off for Charlotte.
Strong running from both Conor Daly, Ryan Hunter-Reay and David Malukas saw them lead at the front at the halfway mark, with Palou and Ferrucci in the mix. As they crossed the line with 60 to go, a now in the top 10 Josef Newgarden saw his dreams at a historic trifecta of victories end due to a brake pressure issue. Penske’s remaining hopes were left in the hands of Will Power, who barely featured in the race to start with. He would end the race in 19th.
More pit lane problems, this time for the hometown hero of Daly and ‘Captain America’ Hunter-Reay saw them drop out of contention. A savvy strategy by Ericsson, calls almost identical to the ones that won him this race in 2023, propelled him to the front. A four way fight between the Swede, Palou, Malukas and Patricio O’Ward was in store for the win.
Malukas and O’Ward did not have enough, and remained in their positions for the final 20 laps. Palou however bided his time, as he always does, and went for the race winning move at the perfect moment. He dove down the inside of Ericsson into turn 1 when Ericsson lifted to create a gap between himself and the lapped cars of Louis Foster and Devlin DeFrancesco. Palou capitalised on this moment of relaxation perfectly.
The points leader was able to save fuel behind the back runners and defend any attempts from Ericsson. His destiny was cemented when a caution was brought out on the run to the line due to a crash for Arrow Mclaren’s Nolan Siegel. Palou had won the greatest spectacle in racing.
From Barcelona to the Brickyard, Palou has dominated every step of the way. He will add himself to the famous Borg Warner trophy and is well on route to claim his fourth Astor Cup in, or maybe even before, we reach Nashville in August.
written by Evan Dalton / Media Credit: Penske Entertainment