Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Ind.) — Alex Palou has relished hearing “2025 Indianapolis 500 champion” all year.
But how did he accomplish the career feat one year ago, winning the race from the sixth starting spot thanks to a pass on Marcus Ericsson on Lap 187 and holding on to the lead over the final 14 laps?
He relived his 2025 victory with me last week, explaining what he was thinking not just during the 500, but also in the days and weeks leading up to the race.
On his car in practice leading up to the race:
ALEX PALOU: “I don’t think it was our best 500 car. In traffic, we were struggling a little bit. I know that heading into the race, we were confident, but not like, ‘Oh yeah, we have a car that can move really fast up front.’ So we struggled quite a lot in practice. Even in the race. I think there was cars like Josef [Newgarden] for instance. You look again and he was simply transferring from final — he made it as much as top-eight or top-six. We couldn’t try this. I really feel there’s been years previously the place we had that automobile, and we had been capable of do it. However final yr, we struggled somewhat bit extra.”
On the particular troubles he confronted throughout apply:
“Simply site visitors runs. I bear in mind a pair issues that we actually cherished concerning the automobile that we have already tried this yr, one thing that form of allowed me to be extra snug following automobiles, fourth, fifth in line.”
On going by the seat of his pants vs. engineering:
“We do much more than you assume. Typically we simply return to fundamentals. On the finish of the day, locations like this, on the speedway, it is extra like what my physique feels than what the perfect state of affairs or what the perfect simulation says. The automobile is absolutely good. However on the finish of the day, for those who do not feel snug, you can not extract one hundred pc from the automobile. In order that’s No. 1.”
After which being quickest on the primary day of qualifying:
“Saturday felt actually bizarre for us final yr as a result of all of the sudden we had been P1, and we didn’t count on it in any respect, and it did not really feel like we knew why it was so quick. So then we went into Sunday, and all of the sudden we misplaced our benefit somewhat bit. The situations modified so much. It was tremendous windy, and it made it that our automobile all of the sudden wasn’t as quick, so we could not be as quick with the automobile that we had. We nonetheless made it to Quick Six, however I believe we certified sixth. Clearly, for those who’re P1 on Saturday, you count on extra. However we did not really feel, “Oh yeah, we received this.” It was extra like, how are we so quick yesterday? And the way are we going to be as quick on Sunday?
“This place is like this typically, There may be you draw a quantity [in the qualifying order] that’s excellent situations, and also you get somewhat little bit of tailwind, greater than all people else, and you’ll all of the sudden carry two-tenths of a mile an hour extra — after which all of the sudden it is a large distinction. It’s a must to have quick automobile, do not get me incorrect. My automobile was tremendous quick, in any other case you aren’t getting to the Quick Six. However I do not assume it was the most effective automobile. I have been on the pole right here, and my automobile was like an entire rocket ship in any situations. Final yr, we would have liked the proper quantity of wind, excellent temperature to form of be good.”
Then on race day, it began to rain simply earlier than the beginning:
“Yeah, I dealt with it OK — simply because all people was in the identical scenario. If I am the one one sitting within the automobile strapped in 40 minutes or half-hour greater than all people else, I’d deal with it fairly dangerous. However as I noticed that everyone was in the identical scenario, I used to be like, ‘Effectively, hopefully I do higher than another individuals.’ However I battle so much with having to pee. You hydrate your self a lot anticipating to sweat instantly, after which all of the sudden you are there for 40 minutes, and the one factor you may take into consideration is I have to pee and I should be right here for a minimum of two and a half hours. However I didn’t pee [in my suit]. I didn’t.”
On if he noticed Scott McLaughlin crash on the tempo laps:
“I see the automobile crashed, however I do not see what occurred. Like, clearly, I simply see a automobile that’s within the grass, however I do not know what occurs.”
Then there’s one other crash on the opening lap:
“Sure, initially, you are like, ‘What is going on on?’ However you simply focus in your issues. it is a 500. that loopy stuff occurs on a regular basis, and you already know that it will be an extended, lengthy race. So it’s worthwhile to be affected person.”
When he knew he had a race-winning automobile:
“I’d say final stint, actually. We had been struggling somewhat bit at first of the race and form of made our means by means of. It’s not like we needed to overtake a bunch of automobiles, however we had been like, sixth, seventh, fifth, however we’re struggling to be there. It was not tremendous straightforward for us, however we form of made the automobile somewhat bit higher. Some automobiles had a few points like [Ryan] Hunter-Reay, after which we all of the sudden pitted for the final stint, and we’re a second behind … and Marcus Ericsson got here out in entrance.”
Going from struggles to the lead amid lapped site visitors:
“[We struggled with] simply general velocity, simply attempting to be as quick as they had been, and saving gas as they had been. you are not going to search out velocity, however you simply have to attempt to play your playing cards. I do not assume we had the quickest automobile, however we most likely had the most effective automobile, being fourth, and that is how we had been capable of overtake Marcus [Ericsson].”
On what occurred subsequent:
“You are within the lead, and you’re like, ‘OK, now it is recreation on.’ It’s like let’s have a look at if I can keep up entrance, as a result of you do not know if Marcus all of the sudden goes to react and he’ll overtake you again, and you then’re simply attempting to be there, ready and praying that there is not going to be a yellow so you may nonetheless have the [lapped] site visitors automobiles up entrance. In any other case, I used to be not going to win that race.”
On needing these lapped automobiles between him and the opposite automobiles on the lead lap:
“Yeah. I say I used to be not going to win that race. Possibly I am perhaps incorrect. It was going to be so much more durable for me to win the race.”
After which taking the white flag because the chief:
“I am pondering, ‘Yeah, simply 4 extra corners.’ However I am not pondering that it is achieved. He [Ericsson] truly received very shut, I believe, the lap earlier than. And truly the final lap exiting of [Turn] 2. And it was not as a result of I relaxed, it was simply because he made a final strive, and I used to be simply already one hundred pc however simply combating general grip. So I do not bear in mind precisely what I believed, however I bear in mind I used to be not excited but. I used to be like, ‘Man, please.’ I have been main already two laps to go on this race with Helio [Castroneves], after which he overtakes you. And there is a large distinction between ending first and second. So you do not permit your self to even assume that you may win.”
On his loud screams after the win:
“I’ve no extra voice already two minutes after I am screaming. I do know that I misplaced the voice already within the automobile. However I used to be so glad. I simply couldn’t wait to cease the automobile and rejoice with all people. It’s tremendous cool to rejoice alone. However the most effective factor is when you may rejoice together with your individuals, together with your crew, with your loved ones. And you’ll see on the display screen that they’re celebrating collectively, and you are like, ‘Man, I need to be a part of it.’ I am simply right here alone within the automobile. Tremendous cool, do not get me incorrect. However I simply need to be with the crew guys.”
Why he threw his gloves on the bottom and ran to his crew after getting out of the automobile:
“That isn’t what I had in thoughts. You have got excellent concepts in your head everytime you go to mattress of how would you rejoice for those who win. However then the fact is that you simply can not plan something. You simply go together with it. However I used to be simply so glad, and I simply needed to run to my mechanics that I simply began throwing stuff.”
On his dad being in that group:
“He is on the market leaping as properly. I simply noticed the group. I simply noticed the group of yellow shirts, individuals operating in direction of me.”
