Alex Palou Extends IndyCar Dominance with Sonsio Grand Prix Win at IMS
Alex Palou’s unstoppable run in the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES rolled on with another commanding victory at the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. This marks Palou’s fourth win in five races this season and his third consecutive triumph at this event, a feat that sets a new race record.
Driving the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, the Spaniard crossed the finish line 5.484 seconds ahead of Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) and over eight seconds ahead of Will Power (Team Penske), despite a late-race caution that briefly threatened to reset the field. Palou’s poise, strategic tire choices, and unmatched consistency once again proved decisive.
“It’s amazing. It’s unbelievable,” Palou said. “I owe everything to the team, Chip Ganassi Racing, my teammates, everybody who’s working behind the scenes to make me look so fast on track.”
Calm Strategy, Sharp Execution
Palou started from pole but ceded the lead early to Graham Rahal, who led a race-high 49 laps. Patiently shadowing Rahal for much of the race, Palou made his decisive move on Lap 58, capitalizing on tire degradation and his own superior grip on primary tires to pass Rahal in Turn 7. From there, he never looked back.
Despite the only full-course yellow in over 400 laps of green-flag racing this season, Palou remained unfazed. “You’re always ready for that to happen,” he said. “We were saving our tires and Push to Pass just in case, and I’m glad we did.”
Palou’s masterful strategy and car control allowed him to stretch his championship lead to 97 points over Kyle Kirkwood. He now owns wins at St. Petersburg, Thermal, Barber, and Indianapolis, plus a second-place finish at Long Beach.
Rivals Take Notice
Both Pato O’Ward and Will Power praised Palou’s dominance while expressing a strong desire to catch up.
“We’ve got to do something to stop that 10 car,” O’Ward said. “They don’t make mistakes. It’s pretty impressive.”
Power echoed that sentiment, noting, “It’s incredibly tough just to win a race in INDYCAR now. To go four wins and one second in five races—that’s stout.”
Focus Shifts to the Indy 500
Next up for Palou: the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25. It remains one of the few prizes he hasn’t captured—and one of his biggest personal goals.
“Hopefully we get to stay here (on the podium) again in a couple of weeks for the biggest race of the year,” Palou said.
He’s never won on an oval, but his confidence is high. “If that happens, things are going to fly—flames here, flames there. It’s going to be amazing,” he joked.
Palou knows that the “500” is a different beast. “I don’t think we’re the favorites, but we’re going to try everything we have,” he said.
As Palou eyes both the Brickyard and potentially a fourth Astor Cup in five seasons, fans and competitors alike are witnessing a historic campaign unfold—one that could rival the greats like Foyt and Unser.
written by Philipp Kraus / Media Credit: Penske Entertainment