Alex Palou continued his outstanding 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season by earning the pole position at Laguna Seca on Saturday. With this achievement, Palou will start at the front of the pack for the 14th race of the year, aiming to further extend his championship lead over rival Pato O’Ward.
Strong Qualifying Battle Between Top Championship Contenders
Palou expressed his excitement after qualifying, noting the impressive performance of his car throughout the sessions.
“The car has been amazing. Yesterday in Practice 1 and today, I felt like we had a lot of pace. It’s great to be on pole here,”
he said to Fox Sports. Palou’s performance comes amid a tightly contested championship battle where O’Ward, now 99 points behind, has recently secured two wins out of the last three races.
O’Ward qualified second, ready to keep close pressure on Palou from the start.
“Just happy we had a smooth qualifying (run). He (Palou) is the guy we have to beat,”
O’Ward told Fox Sports, acknowledging the challenge his rival presents.
Firestone Fast Six Highlights and Track Conditions
The Firestone Fast Six was completed by Colton Herta, Josef Newgarden, Will Power, and David Malukas, rounding out a highly competitive front group. Despite a limited schedule caused by the cancellation of Saturday morning’s practice, teams relied on Friday’s session to fine-tune their setups for race day.
Anticipation Builds for the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey
The Java House Grand Prix of Monterey is set to start shortly after 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. Fans can follow the action live through Fox as well as the IndyCar Radio Network. This race is expected to be pivotal in shaping the remainder of the IndyCar championship as Palou and O’Ward battle for supremacy at Laguna Seca.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Will Alex Palou go to F1?
A. Alex Palou is having an amazing INDYCAR season, and he plans to stay in the series. The 2025 Indianapolis 500 champion said he isn’t moving to Formula 1 after this season, as he shared with the Indy Star. He mentioned that Formula 1 isn’t reaching out to him anymore, although he still keeps up with it.
Q. Did McLaren sue Alex Palou over $47.5 million contract dispute?
A. McLaren has broken a 26-year streak without a title. This comes amid a legal battle with IndyCar champion Alex Palou. After participating in the Daytona 24-hour race this weekend, Palou will travel to London. He faces mediation with McLaren, who is suing him for over $47.5 million due to a contract dispute.
Q. Is Alex Palou going to F1?
A. After being associated with Williams and the new Cadillac team, Palou gave up his small chance of joining Formula 1 and decided to stay in IndyCar. Palou told Divebomb, “Everyone is aware that I attempted [to go to Formula One] after my 2021 championship.”
Q. Why did McLaren sue Alex Palou?
A. Alex Palou, a three-time IndyCar champion, needs to travel to London after the Rolex 24 at Daytona. He has to participate in mediation with McLaren. This team is suing him for at least $30 million because they claim he violated a contract.
