Alex Palou Claims First Indianapolis 500 Victory
Indianapolis, IN – Alex Palou solidified his status as a dominant force in the NTT IndyCar Series by claiming victory at the 109th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. The 28-year-old Spaniard, a three-time champion with 15 career wins, secured the coveted Borg-Warner Trophy in a thrilling finish, overtaking 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson in the final laps.
Competing for Chip Ganassi Racing, Palou utilized strategic drafting behind Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster in the closing stages, a calculated approach he learned from his previous Indy 500 experiences. “At the end, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to pass Marcus or not,” Palou stated. "But I made it happen. First oval win. What a better place."
Palou’s triumph marks his fifth victory of the 2025 season and extends his streak to six consecutive top-two finishes, positioning him as the championship frontrunner as the season progresses.
Ericsson finished just 0.6822 seconds behind Palou, visibly disheartened after narrowly missing out on his second Indy 500 title. David Malukas of AJ Foyt Racing rounded out the podium, finishing third, followed by Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Race Overview
The race began under caution due to a chaotic start, with Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin crashing on the warm-up lap. After a brief rain delay, the green flag waved on lap 4, only to be followed by another caution when Marco Andretti collided with Jack Harvey shortly thereafter.
Mechanical failures took a heavy toll on contenders throughout the race. Notably, Alexander Rossi’s car caught fire during a pit stop, Rinus Veekay crashed while pitting, and pole-sitter Robert Shwartzman collided with his crew as he entered the pit lane. Additionally, Kyle Larson and two-time defending champion Josef Newgarden faced early exits due to crashes and fuel pump issues.
In total, only 23 of the 33 starters completed the final lap, with Nolan Siegel crashing on the last circuit, concluding the race under caution.
The thrilling spectacle in Indianapolis wrapped up the Month of May, with the IndyCar series now shifting focus to the streets of Detroit for the next race on June 1.
