Alex Palou is a five‑time IndyCar champion after securing the season’s penultimate points haul at the Milwaukee Mile doubleheader.
Championship secured.
Milwaukee finish propels Palou into historic ranking
The Spaniard posted a sixth‑place finish in the first race and a tenth in the second, enough to lock in the fifth title. Those results moved him into third place on the all‑time win list, trailing only A. J. Foyt and teammate Scott Dixon.
Palou’s record now includes six victories, seven podiums and eight pole positions.
What lies ahead at Laguna Seca
Next weekend’s event at Laguna Seca offers a chance to improve the statistics. The champion’s average finish there is 1.2, with three wins and a best finish of third.
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The circuit will also see him run a tribute livery honoring the late Alex Zanardi.
“It’s tough to put into words,” Palou said after the win. “Everything that I owe to this team, to these two men [Chip Ganassi and Barry Wanser] sitting next to me, that they give me the opportunity to be not only a race winner, then a champion, now a five‑time champion.”
At 29 years old, Palou matches the age when Foyt secured his fourth crown and Dixon earned his second. Both continued to win titles well into their forties, showing that longevity is possible in the sport.
The driver’s next steps appear clear. With a championship already secured, the focus shifts to the upcoming race and the battle for second place.
The momentum from this weekend could influence the final standings, especially as rivals chase the remaining points.
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Palou’s ability to extract performance from the car suggests his team will keep refining the package.
If they maintain this pace, the next season could see the champion challenging for another top‑level accolade, assuming the competitive field remains as tight as it is now.
Barry Wanser, the crew chief, praised the driver’s learning curve. “I just think his ability to constantly learn and take advantage of the resources we have at Chip Ganassi Racing is outstanding. Alex can’t perform as well as he does without such a great crew behind him. The engineering department certainly knocked it out of the park again with some great cars, and the pit work has been amazing this year.”
Rival Pato O’Ward highlighted the team’s influence on the series. “The guy lives rent‑free in everyone’s head in the paddock, like he’s raised that bar, him and Ganassi,” he said at the press conference. O’Ward, along with Kyle Kirkwood and Christian Lundgaard, will vie for the runner‑up spot at Laguna Seca.
