INDYCAR: PALOU BACK ON TOP AT BARBER

After missing the spotlight in Long Beach, Alex Palou roared back in dominant fashion at Barber Motorsports Park, host of the fourth round of the 2025 IndyCar season. The reigning champion secured his third win in just four races—ironically, on the same track where he claimed his first-ever IndyCar victory back in 2021.

From the moment the lights went out, Palou was untouchable. Starting from pole position, he controlled the race with surgical precision, pulling away when it mattered and crossing the finish line with a commanding 16-second lead over his closest challenger, Christian Lundgaard. It was a true display of championship-level driving.

Lundgaard, racing for Arrow McLaren, had narrowly missed out on the Fast Six in qualifying after being bumped by his own teammate, rookie Nolan Siegel. But the Danish driver made up for it in the race, quickly dispatching Siegel and then overtaking Scott McLaughlin after the second round of pit stops to lock down an impressive second-place finish.

McLaughlin, who had started from the front row, settled for third. Still, it was a respectable result for the Penske driver, especially at a venue where he had claimed back-to-back wins in the previous two seasons. However, the final laps saw him come under intense pressure from Rinus VeeKay, who came close to stealing the podium spot. The Dutchman delivered a strong performance for Dale Coyne Racing, turning his fifth-place qualifying effort into a fourth-place result.

Will Power rounded out the top five, followed by Patricio O’Ward and Colton Herta. Once again, Herta saw a promising qualifying performance undone in the race—this time due to a stall during his second pit stop, which cost him valuable time and any real shot at contending. He had to settle for seventh.

Alexander Rossi took eighth, ahead of Nolan Siegel in ninth and Josef Newgarden in tenth. Long Beach winner Kyle Kirkwood finished just outside the top ten in eleventh, though he did climb up from a disappointing 18th on the grid.

It was a forgettable day for Prema Racing. Callum Ilott ended up 23rd, while Robert Shwartzman finished 25th. With no yellow flags, no chaos, and every car reaching the finish line, there were simply no opportunities for the Italian team to shake up their race.

Next up: the heart of the legendary “Month of May.” All eyes now turn to Indianapolis.

© Cavalieri Garage & Co.