Sunday’s race saw Alex Palou win the Sonsio Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course for the third time in a row—and let’s be honest, is anyone really surprised?
Palou has mastered what was once considered his only weakness, if he had one at all: qualifying pace. Through just four races this year, Palou already has two pole positions, compared to six across his entire career before this season. He’s now dominating entire weekends more consistently—topping practice sessions, taking pole, and converting it into wins on race day.
At first glance, this race looked like it might finally go the way of Graham Rahal, who was aiming for his first victory since the 2017 Detroit Grand Prix (Race 2). However, it was no mystery that Palou would come charging toward the end. Running second for much of the day, Palou made a decisive pass on Rahal just before the final pit stops to take the lead—and never looked back.
Even more impressive? He made the move while on the less favored primary tires, while Rahal was running the faster alternate compound. Saving a fresh set of alternate tires for the final stint, Palou left no doubt in anyone’s mind—either watching from home or in the stands at IMS—who would be taking the checkered flag.
There was a brief moment of suspense when a late-race yellow flag came out due to an engine failure for David Malukas, but Palou nailed the restart. That’s no small feat at IMS, where restarts are notoriously difficult for the leader thanks to the long front straight that encourages drafting into Turn 1. We saw Rahal take advantage of this on Lap 1, but Palou timed his restart perfectly, holding off Pato O’Ward and maintaining the lead for the final laps.
The “Year of Three” continues with the Indy 500 on May 25th, where Josef Newgarden will attempt to win three straight. After that, no individual drivers will be chasing a third consecutive win at a single venue this season. The final chapter of the “Year of Three” will see Palou trying to clinch his third IndyCar Championship.
With a commanding 97-point lead over Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood, Palou is off to a near-perfect start. But the championship is far from over. Six oval races remain on the calendar—a type of track where Palou has yet to take a win. Can he break through and finally conquer an oval, as Scott McLaughlin and Colton Herta did last year? Or will others rise to the challenge and turn the ovals into The Great Equalizer of the 2025 season?
written by Drew Allison / Media Credit: Penske Entertainment
