On May 10, 2025, Alex Palou continued his impressive campaign in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series by winning the Sonsio Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. This victory marked Palou's third consecutive win at this event and his fourth win in the first five races of the season, solidifying his status as the championship leader.
Palou, who started the race from pole position, initially fell behind to Graham Rahal, who took the lead right after the green flag waved. Rahal controlled the race for 58 laps, demonstrating strong pace and strategy. However, Palou's relentless pursuit paid off when he overtook Rahal on lap 58, ultimately pulling away to secure the win by a comfortable margin of 5.484 seconds.
“I cannot describe the amazing season we’ve had so far,” Palou said after the race. “I owe everything to the team: Chip Ganassi Racing, my teammates and everybody that is working behind the scenes to make me look so fast on track. It’s amazing. It’s unbelievable. Hopefully, we get to stay here again in a couple of weeks for the biggest race of the year.”
The race featured only one caution, which came late when David Malukas stalled off-course with 15 laps remaining. This caution ended a remarkable 408-lap streak of green flag racing that had persisted since the season opener at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Despite the caution, Palou maintained his composure on the restart, quickly distancing himself from the field. Pato O’Ward, who started in eighth position, executed a brilliant drive to finish second, marking his second podium of the season. O’Ward noted, “We need to do something to stop the 10 car. These cars are really on a roll. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it, especially in IndyCar. We just got to keep on working.”
Will Power took home his first podium of the season, finishing third after starting from seventh. Power's performance was commendable, especially as he had over a minute of push-to-pass remaining in the final laps but was unable to challenge O'Ward for second. Scott McLaughlin and Scott Dixon rounded out the top five, with McLaughlin starting on black tires and Dixon making a notable recovery from 16th place.
Graham Rahal, who led for a significant portion of the race, ultimately finished sixth. His strategy of alternating tire compounds worked well initially but faltered in the final stages as his tires wore out. Rahal expressed disappointment but acknowledged the effort, saying, “We had a strong car today, but the strategy didn’t play out as we hoped.”
Other notable performances included Marcus Armstrong, Kyle Kirkwood, Rinus VeeKay, and Felix Rosenqvist, who completed the top ten. VeeKay’s performance was particularly impressive, marking his third top ten finish in five races with Dale Coyne Racing.
The race began with a multi-car incident on the first lap, which resulted in wing damage to Colton Herta’s car. Despite quick pit work, Herta struggled throughout the race and eventually retired. Conor Daly and Callum Ilott were also involved in early incidents but managed to continue, with Daly finishing 15th and Ilott four laps down in 22nd.
Prior to the race, Kyffin Simpson faced gearbox issues that prevented him from starting, while Josef Newgarden had hybrid unit problems that forced him to start from the rear of the field. Newgarden managed to recover to finish in 12th place.
As the 2025 IndyCar season progresses, Palou now holds a substantial 97-point lead over second-place Kirkwood as the series heads into the highly anticipated Indianapolis 500 on May 25, 2025. The Indianapolis 500 is often referred to as the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, and with Palou's current form, he will be a favorite to claim victory and possibly secure his first win on an oval track.
The next two weeks will be critical as teams prepare for the Indianapolis 500, with practice and qualifying set to take place. Fans and drivers alike are eager to see if Palou can maintain his dominant form and add the prestigious Indy 500 trophy to his growing collection.
