In the NTT IndyCar Series, Alex Palou has become inevitable…
The Barcelona, Spain-native captured the victory in Sunday’s 109th running of the Indianapolis 500, collecting his first-ever victory at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, and his first win on an oval of any kind in IndyCar.
Palou, the 28-year-old superstar, was able to make a pass on 2022 Indianapolis 500 race-winner Marcus Ericsson with just 14 laps remaining, taking over the lead and not looking back, marching decisively to the victory in the major motorsports contest.
The victory on Sunday is the fifth of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series campaign for Alex Palou through the opening six events of the year. It’s also the 16th win for the Chip Ganassi Racing driver on the NTT IndyCar Series circuit.
“I cannot believe it, what an amazing day, what an amazing race,” Palou told INDYCAR on FOX after the race. “What an amazing race by the No. 10 crew, everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing, and HRC. I cannot believe it. It’s amazing to be here, it’s amazing to win. There were some moments that I felt really good in the race, but at the end, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to pass Marcus [Ericsson].”
Ericsson, the 2022 Indianapolis 500 race-winner and the 2023 runner-up, will have to settle for another second-place finish in ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’, after being unable to make the pass on eventual race-winner Alex Palou in the closing laps.
23-year-old David Malukas, piloting the second entry for the iconic AJ Foyt Racing, had an incredible afternoon at Indianapolis, finishing third place in his No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet after leading multiple laps throughout the afternoon and staying in contention.
It’s the third podium finish for the native of Chicago, Illinois, and the first that hasn’t come at World Wide Technology Raceway – Malukas finished second and third at the 1.25-mile racetrack in back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023.
Pato O’Ward’s quest to win the Indianapolis 500 didn’t exactly materialize on Sunday, with the Arrow McLaren driver finishing in fourth, while Felix Rosenqvist, driver of the No. 60 for Meyer Shank Racing, rounded out the top five.
Kyle Kirkwood, Santino Ferrucci, Christian Rasmussen, Christian Lundgaard, and Conor Daly rounded out the top-10. Takuma Sato, who led a race-high 51 laps, finished 11th in his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda.
Kyle Larson had an unfortunate end to his second attempt at “The Double,” finishing 27th after crashing out on Lap 92. Larson will return to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 (6:00 PM ET on Prime Video) where he will start from the outside pole.
Alex Palou holds a commanding lead in the NTT IndyCar Series standings after Indianapolis, considering he’s finished top two in every event this season.
