Palou scores fourth win of 2025 at Indianapolis Road Course

The Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis once again had a Spanish winner. Alex Palou, driving the No. 10 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing, claimed his fourth victory in the first five events of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season on Saturday, matching a record last achieved by Sebastien Bourdais 19 years ago.

With this win, Palou becomes the first driver to claim three consecutive victories in this event. Even more impressive is his 97-point championship lead over Kyle Kirkwood, despite only five of the scheduled 17 races having been completed.

Rahal led most laps, but strategy favored the Catalan driver

The race story differed significantly from what the final result suggests. Graham Rahal, who snatched the lead from Palou on the second lap, commanded the field for 49 laps on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn circuit. However, different tire choices changed the course of the competition.

INDYCAR regulations for this event required all drivers to use two sets of each Firestone compound (primary and alternate). While Rahal opted for new tires in his early stints, Palou chose to save his best rubber for the crucial moment.

The Spaniard's patience paid off on lap 58. After a failed attempt in turns 1 and 2, Palou found the perfect gap in turn 7 to pass Rahal and never looked back.

O'Ward and Power complete podium after late yellow flag

Mexican driver Pato O'Ward climbed from eighth on the grid to finish second, 5.48 seconds behind the winner. Will Power rounded out the podium with his best result of the season so far, 8.45 seconds behind the leader.

The race's only yellow flag came on lap 70 when David Malukas became stranded in the turn 10 grass. This caution ended a streak of 408 uninterrupted laps in the series, dating back to the opening lap of the season opener in St. Petersburg.

"We need to do something to stop this No. 10 car," O'Ward admitted after the race. "These guys are on another level. I don't remember seeing anything like this in INDYCAR."

New horizons for the championship leader

For Palou, the next target is clear: the Indianapolis 500 on May 25. Despite his multiple wins in the series, the Spaniard has never won on an oval or conquered the most iconic race in American motorsport.

"Hopefully we can return here (to the podium) in a couple weeks for the most important race of the year," Palou said.

Hopefully we can return here (to the podium) in a couple weeks for the most important race of the year.

With 12 races remaining and this dominant form, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver could threaten the all-time single-season wins record (10), set by A.J. Foyt in 1964 and matched by Al Unser in 1970. He's also on pace to secure his fourth championship in five years, something not seen since Bourdais' golden era between 2004 and 2007.

Practice for the Indianapolis 500 begins Tuesday at noon (Eastern Time).

Season outlook after Indianapolis

Palou's superiority this season has been overwhelming. His performance through the first five races includes victories at St. Petersburg, Thermal, Barber and now Indianapolis, with a second-place finish at Long Beach as his only "stumble."

Meanwhile, Kyle Kirkwood, his closest championship rival, finished eighth in this race, while Christian Lundgaard, third in the standings, crossed the line in sixteenth position.

Scott Dixon, Palou's Chip Ganassi Racing teammate and six-time series champion, finished in the top five after starting sixteenth, once again demonstrating the team's strength.

Final standings of the Sonsio Grand Prix