Alex Palou, the four-time NTT IndyCar Series champion, appeared remarkably composed and upbeat despite a recent British court ruling ordering him to pay Formula 1 team McLaren over $12 million. This ruling stemmed from a contract dispute linked to Palou’s decision not to honor an agreement signed in October 2022, which McLaren contested due to an unclear path to a Formula 1 opportunity.
Palou, who drives the iconic No. 10 DHL Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing, expressed cautious optimism as he prepares to defend his remarkable 2025 season performance. He indicated it was too soon to discuss details surrounding the court case in depth.
“I promise that one day I will [elaborate] and I will explain all my thought process before, during, and after. But I don’t think it’s probably good now,”
Palou said regarding the verdict.
Back on Track: From Endurance Racing to IndyCar Preparation
Fresh from competing in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona with Acura Meyer Shank Racing, Palou shared that the endurance event helped him find a rhythm ahead of the new IndyCar season. He reflected on the intensity of the upcoming months, remarking on the rapid turnaround after the long off-season and his eagerness to test the limits of his car during preseason events in Sebring and Phoenix, culminating with the season opener at St. Petersburg.
“I’ve been lucky to go to Daytona and kind of get a rhythm, a small rhythm, and be at the track and driving a little bit. But I’m excited to get back to my car. I’m very excited to start the season to see what we have [during testing] in Sebring, then Phoenix, and then [at the season-opening race at] St. Pete. It just feels like we have a very long offseason and then suddenly once we start, we never stop. So I am excited for that,”
Palou said.
Recognition from Rivals and Industry Leaders
Industry insiders and competitors alike continue to regard Palou as the driver to beat in IndyCar. IndyCar President Doug Boles and many drivers acknowledge Palou’s dominance and skill. Yet, Palou remains mindful of the challenges ahead and embraces the fierce competition in the series.
Palou reflects on his early days as a relative unknown in the IndyCar paddock. During the 2020 Indianapolis 500, as a rookie driving for Dale Coyne Racing, he boldly approached Chip Ganassi and seized an opportunity that many others overlooked.
“It’s all about timing on everything—in sports, in life. And I was very fortunate to have a seat in IndyCar, to have a great month of August, and suddenly being next to their pit. I’m very fortunate [with] the risk they took, the gamble they took, because now everybody’s like, ‘Oh yeah, Alex and Alex… whatever,’ but nobody wanted me then except Mike [Hull] and Chip,”
Palou explained.
Peers Acknowledge Palou’s Exceptional Performance
Will Power, recently signed by Andretti Global and the only driver to have interrupted Palou’s championship run since 2021, praised Palou’s comprehensive skill set and the supporting team’s excellence.
“Now he’s just so rounded. There’s not a weakness basically. I can’t see a weakness with this guy. Obviously, Ganassi is also executing really well, pit stops and car setup and so on. I think you almost need to be looking at the driving stuff more than the car stuff, honestly—like what is he doing as a driver to extract the most out of it? Man, he’s a tough guy to beat. [But] it’s possible,”
Power said.
Power reiterated,
“We should have a championship contending car. We should. I don’t see anyone standing out. Except Palou.”
Felix Rosenqvist from Meyer Shank Racing also highlighted the small margins that separate competitors from Palou’s level, cautioning that it is the accumulation of minor differences, rather than a single distinct advantage, that defines the playing field.
“You just got to try to reel him in in every area possible. He was definitely a step ahead of everyone last year,”
Rosenqvist said.
“It’s not like one massive thing, either. I think all of us have been analyzing a lot. It’s not like there’s one big area where you can just like, ‘Oh, there it is.’ It’s just all the little things, right? Like always in racing.”
Keeping Pace With Palou: The Challenge for His Rivals
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, another of Palou’s fiercest competitors, admitted the difficulty of matching Palou’s previous performance.
“We keep saying he can’t raise the bar [from] the previous year. I have no idea how he’s going to raise the bar from last year. If he does, then I think everyone is toast,”
O’Ward remarked.
Palou’s success has often seemed effortless, contributing to the challenge for those chasing him.
“It’s been too easy for him. He and Ganassi have made it very easy,”
O’Ward added.
“So for us, it’s just important to make sure that we just got to execute. We can’t have the little slip ups that you might see from us. We’ve never had a year where there hasn’t been any slip ups. We’re still striving for that perfection. That’s what you see from the 10 car. That is what you see a championship-winning car have. If they do have a slip up, it’s usually quite small.”
Palou’s View on the Difficulty of Repeating Success
Though the praise from rivals is encouraging, Palou acknowledges the uniqueness of his extraordinary 2025 campaign.
“I think 2025 was so strange, so good, so magical in a way, for the 10 car that everybody understands that it’s very hard to get there. That doesn’t mean that nobody can or that I cannot do it again, but you need so many things to go right to get eight wins, to win the 500, to win the championship,”
he said.
He added a realistic perspective,
“So although I would love to have another season like 2025, I am pretty certain that it’s probably not going to happen again for me, but I’ll try. I’ll try.”
IndyCar’s Unique Competitiveness Keeps Palou Alert
Palou emphasized the unpredictability and depth of talent in IndyCar, a series where no driver or team can be underestimated.
“You cannot count one person or one driver or one team out. That’s the beauty of IndyCar. So, I have everybody in mind, and at the same time I don’t have anybody,”
he said. Palou noted that his main focus remains on his own No. 10 car, while recognizing that new talents, like Andretti’s Kyle Kirkwood—who won three of the first six races last year even without the No. 10 car’s performance—add layers to the competition.
Implications and Outlook for the Upcoming Season
The looming court dispute adds a layer of tension as Palou looks to replicate his previous dominance on the track. Balancing off-track pressures with on-track ambitions will be critical for Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing. His rivals are sharpening their strategies and striving to close the gap, but the consensus remains that Palou’s driving prowess and team execution set an exceptionally high bar.
As the new IndyCar season approaches with testing sessions in Sebring and Phoenix and the opening race in St. Petersburg, all eyes will be on Palou to see if he can maintain his momentum and contend for another championship amid fierce competition and ongoing legal challenges.
