PALOU CONQUERS THE INDY 500: HISTORIC WIN IN A CHAOTIC RACE

Alex Palou has finally done it. Despite his impressive collection of IndyCar titles—three to date—the Spaniard had never claimed victory in the most prestigious race of them all: the Indianapolis 500. That changed this year. In a race marked by chaos, accidents, and tension, Palou delivered a masterclass and etched his name into racing history with a flawless drive.

Not only was this his first win at the Brickyard, it was also his first-ever victory on an oval—an achievement that underscores just how complete a driver he has become. It’s the latest highlight in a near-perfect 2025 campaign, where Palou has won five of the first six races. His worst finish? A second place at Long Beach. That’s dominance.

At Indy, Palou remained calm and sharp throughout. He stayed in the lead pack for most of the race, picking the perfect moment to strike. With just 14 laps to go, he made a clean and decisive move on Marcus Ericsson, a past Indy 500 winner who had led thanks to a well-timed final pit stop.

Ericsson, driving for Andretti, looked poised to repeat his 2022 victory. After rejoining the track in the lead, he managed to hold Palou off for several laps. But once Palou made his move, the Swede had no answer. Slower traffic—especially lapped cars like Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster—also played a role, giving Palou just the slipstream he needed to break through.

David Malukas rounded out the podium with a strong third-place finish. While he was in the mix all day, he never quite had the pace to challenge for the lead. Pato O’Ward, always a contender, had to settle for fourth—once again denied a breakthrough win at Indy. Felix Rosenqvist came home fifth, followed by Kyle Kirkwood, who clawed his way up from the eighth row.

Santino Ferrucci finished seventh, capping off a fantastic day for the Foyt team—especially with Malukas on the podium. Eighth place went to Christian Rasmussen, while Christian Lundgaard and Conor Daly completed the top ten. Just outside the top ten was Takuma Sato, who had started on the front row and ran strongly early on before slipping back in the second half.

Callum Ilott brought home the only Prema entry to finish. The British driver showed serious pace after starting from mid-pack, but a few mishaps in the pits cost him crucial time. Even so, his performance—and that of the Venetian team—was promising, despite the heartbreak of losing pole-sitter Robert Shwartzman.

Shwartzman, the Russian-Israeli rookie, nailed the start (delayed due to light rain) and led early with confidence. Unfortunately, his race ended abruptly on lap 88 after a pit lane mishap: coming into his stall too hot, likely due to a slick surface, he ran long and struck a crew member in the legs. The mechanic was stretchered away, and Shwartzman’s day was done. Still, Prema made an impressive debut at the Speedway.

Pit lane drama didn’t stop there. Just prior to Shwartzman’s accident, a crew member from the Carpenter team was briefly engulfed in flames during a stop for Alexander Rossi. The 2016 Indy 500 winner pulled into the pits after smoke began pouring from his Chevrolet-powered Dallara. A fuel spill triggered a fire, but thankfully the situation was quickly brought under control, and the mechanic appeared unhurt.

It was a nightmare day for Team Penske. Only Will Power made it to the finish, crossing the line 19th after a late splash-and-go pit stop. His teammates weren’t so lucky: Scott McLaughlin crashed during the warm-up laps while trying to get heat into his tires, and Josef Newgarden retired with a fuel system failure while running near the front.

Ryan Hunter-Reay also retired at a critical moment—during his final pit stop, just before he could mount a challenge for the win. The race itself was delayed more than 40 minutes by weather and saw multiple cautions in the first half, including one that involved Marco Andretti.

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