Kyle Kirkwood emerged victorious at the 2025 IndyCar Detroit GP after starting the race from third position. Alex Palou, a leading contender, was forced to retire due to a crash during the event, paving the way for Kirkwood’s win and leaving Kirkwood as one of only two drivers to have won a race in the 2025 season so far. Santino Ferrucci and Colton Herta completed the podium, finishing second and third respectively.
Colton Herta secured pole position at the start of the race, with David Malukas and Kyle Kirkwood qualifying second and third. Christian Lundgaard, Graham Rahal, and Alex Palou filled out the top six on the grid.
Key Moments and Race Developments at Detroit GP
At the race’s outset, Colton Herta maintained his lead after starting on pole, fending off a challenge from Christian Lundgaard at the first corner. Alex Palou, who began in sixth, made a strong start by advancing three positions to third.
Kyle Kirkwood initially dropped a few places but regained ground quickly, overtaking both Lundgaard and Palou within the opening ten laps. The first pit stop sequence began on lap 11, with Herta relinquishing the lead to pit and the other frontrunners following suit soon after.
A crash involving Felix Rosenqvist on lap 15 led to the first caution of the race, as the Meyer Shank Racing driver spun out. The race then resumed on lap 18, shortly before Nolan Siegel was spun by Scott McLaughlin, whose Team Penske car made light contact with the Arrow McLaren driver’s rear tire.
Another caution was triggered on lap 19 when Rinus VeeKay lost a rear tire. Scott McLaughlin pitted for fresh tires under this safety car period, effectively taking the lead ahead of Herta and Kirkwood.
Christian Rasmussen, starting the race on hard primary tires, led the field back to green on lap 22, closely followed by RLL teammates Graham Rahal and Louis Foster.
Alex Palou attempted an overtake on Santino Ferrucci on lap 31. This move opened an opportunity for Christian Lundgaard to challenge Palou’s Arrow McLaren car, although the Danish driver was unable to capitalize.
Graham Rahal’s pit stop strategy indicated a likely two-stop approach, but problems fitting the right rear tire caused a significant delay after his initial stop on lap 33. This setback ultimately left Rahal three laps behind the leaders.
Christian Rasmussen sustained minor damage after clipping the barrier but continued racing with only a small loss of positions.
By mid-race, following the second round of pit stops, Kyle Kirkwood had taken the effective lead with Will Power, Colton Herta, Alex Palou, and David Malukas rounded out the top five. Pato O’Ward and Josef Newgarden remained contenders in sixth and seventh places.
Two-thirds through the race, PREMA Racing’s Callum Ilott crashed after an issue with his wheel nut cover, causing a caution as he hit the barrier. Most leaders pitted on lap 70 and retained their positions after the stops.
On the subsequent restart, Alex Palou crashed after contact with David Malukas at Turn 1, ending his race in the tire barriers. This incident produced another caution period.
Final Laps and Closing Stages
Kyle Kirkwood quickly gained positions during the restart and seized the lead from Santino Ferrucci the following lap. Later in the race, suspension failure struck Louis Foster, causing him to collide with Felix Rosenqvist and prompting a red flag as cars came to a stop in the pit lane. Both drivers retired, although Foster was cleared by medical officials after being taken to the infield care center.
When racing resumed with 12 laps remaining, Kirkwood held a commanding lead over Will Power, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, and Kyffin Simpson. He maintained this advantage to cross the finish line first, securing his victory at the Detroit GP.
Kyle Kirkwood Reflects on Winning Performance
A favorite for the win heading into the race, Kyle Kirkwood had aimed for pole position but fell short due to a mistake in the final qualifying lap. Despite this, he managed to navigate the pack, maintain composure during restarts, and ultimately win the race for Andretti Global.
“You know what, for some reason, the wing, it was damaged, but it wasn’t really causing that much of an issue. This AWS Honda was on rails all weekend long. And there were some challenges out there, that’s for sure.” —Kyle Kirkwood, Driver
“We had to pass our way back through a handful of times, and it was definitely not a walk in the park, especially with that front wing damage at the end. We did lose a little bit of performance, but the car actually felt fine. The car was flawless, we were definitely the fastest.” —Kyle Kirkwood, Driver
Complete Results of the 2025 IndyCar Detroit GP
- P1 #27 Kyle Kirkwood: Andretti Global Honda
- P2 #14 Santino Ferrucci: AJ Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
- P3 #26 Colton Herta: Andretti Global Honda
- P4 #12 Will Power: Team Penske Chevrolet
- P5 #8 Kyffin Simpson: Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
- P6 #66 Marcus Armstrong: Meyer Shank Racing Honda
- P7 #5 Pato O’Ward: Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
- P8 #7 Christian Lundgaard: Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
- P9 #2 Josef Newgarden: Team Penske Chevrolet
- P10 #20 Alexander Rossi: Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
- P11 #9 Scott Dixon: Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
- P12 #3 Scott McLaughlin: Team Penske Chevrolet
- P13 #28 Marcus Ericsson: Andretti Global Honda
- P14 #4 David Malukas: AJ Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
- P15 #77 Sting Ray Robb: Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
- P16 #83 Robert Shwartzman: PREMA Racing Chevrolet
- P17 #76 Conor Daly: Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
- P18 #51 Jacob Abel: Dale Coyne Racing Honda
- P19 #6 Nolan Siegel: Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
- P20 #15 Graham Rahal: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
- P21 #60 Felix Rosenqvist: Meyer Shank Racing Honda
- P22 #45 Louis Foster: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
- P23 #30 Devlin DeFrancesco: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
- P24 #21 Christian Rasmussen: Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
- P25 #10 Alex Palou: Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
- P26 #90 Callum Ilott: PREMA Racing Chevrolet
- P27 #18 Rinus VeeKay: Dale Coyne Racing Honda
Impact and Outlook Following Detroit GP
Kyle Kirkwood’s victory at Detroit marks a significant moment in the 2025 IndyCar season, positioning him alongside Alex Palou as one of the few drivers to have won this year. Palou’s crash represents a major setback for the Chip Ganassi Racing driver, who had been a frontrunner expected to challenge throughout the season. The race highlighted the intensity of competition among leading drivers like Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, and Will Power, who all remain key contenders.
As the season progresses, Kirkwood’s performance emphasizes Andretti Global’s rising competitiveness, while the challenges faced by Palou and others underscore the unpredictable nature of the series. Fans and teams alike will watch upcoming races closely to see if Kirkwood can maintain his momentum or if Palou returns to form after his setback at Detroit.
