Latest news with #Palou
Indianapolis Star
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
‘We're not here to watch them.' Was Indy 500 lessened by hybrid, rules? Drivers weigh in
DETROIT — In the wake of two consecutive years featuring last-lap passes for the win in the Indianapolis 500 – a race that has only had four such finishes in its century-plus history — Pato O'Ward, twice a runner-up, called this year's edition a 'boring, pretty crap race' from his position finishing fourth at the checkered flag. Or was it sixth? The Arrow McLaren driver remained worried post-race that the two nearly (but not completely) lapped cars of Devlin DeFrancesco and Louis Foster might've confused casual fans while their presence largely prevented any high-action battles for the lead in the final 10 laps of Alex Palou's first Indy 500 win on Sunday. Though opinions weren't uniform across the paddock, O'Ward was not alone in his frustration. 'That's just not a finish an Indy 500 race deserves. People want to be excited and see an exhilarating finish,' O'Ward said Monday evening ahead of the Indy 500 victory celebration. 'Last year, that was a race. That was a friggin' race. I know I didn't end up winning, but I think it's safe to say that was a race. '2023? That was a race. 2022? Those are the fights I believe everyone really looks forward to having, and that last bit was ruined by that.' The culprits that have drawn the ire of O'Ward, his Arrow McLaren teammate Christian Lundgaard, Team Penske's Will Power and others? The presence of two cars at the back of the lead lap down the closing stretch that effectively made Palou, on-track runner-up Marcus Ericsson and Co. feel as if they were battling in a pack — something that's near impossible to do at the moment with the additional 100-plus pounds of IndyCar's hybrid system that debuted in the 500 this month. The way the 500 ended has been a sticking point for Power for years, because, unlike in Formula 1 — where a car that is about to be overtaken by the race leader, putting them one lap down — IndyCar rules do not require slower cars to move over until they're about to go two laps down. In layman's terms, Foster and DeFrancesco had no obligation to swerve aside once Palou or Ericsson reached their rear wings in the closing laps because, according to IndyCar's rule book, cars on the lead lap are allowed to fight to stay there, and not until a car has been lapped by all the lead-lap cars it need to cede track. The idea behind IndyCar's long-held rules is that a car that hasn't yet been lapped stands to be put right back into a prime position to pick up spots, should a caution come out and require a restart with the field bunched back up. To Power, that's not enough of an excuse over the final 10 laps or so to ruin what could have been an edge-of-your-seat finish between Palou, the most dominant driver of the last couple years, Ericsson, the 2022 Indy 500 winner and 2023 500 runner-up. 'Fans want to see first- and second-place doing what the last cars on the lead lap were doing, going back and forth, and that's what you would've gotten with (more than) 8 million people watching at the end (on Fox). It's a pity, it's a pity,' Power said. 'We're not here to watch (DeFrancesco and Foster). 'Can you imagine? (Palou and Ericsson) would've been going back and forth, but it was smart for (Alex) to just sit there and stay in the draft, and to be honest, you could pay someone to do that for you. At the end of the race, you could just have one of your team cars who's out of it back up and go back and forth, and there's nothing in the rules that says you can't do that. You absolutely can do that and win that way.' DeFrancesco, who finished 14th on track before advancing up to 11th due to post-race tech inspection penalties, acknowledged that those hopes for a late-race caution were precisely why he and his Rahal Letterman Lanigan teammate traded spots back and forth during Sunday's closing laps, while staying just far enough out of reach of Palou to maintain their lead-lap position. 'I get (other drivers' frustration), but at the time, I was doing as instructed, and that's the way it works out sometimes,' DeFrancesco said. 'It's a tough one. I understand from their point of view, but it's not my place to comment or decide. We have the IndyCar stewards in place to make that decision, and we followed the rules.' Insider: Fox's Indy 500 broadcast hit 17-year high. What happens next is important for IndyCar's growth Scott Dixon, Palou's Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, backed DeFrancesco's sentiments. 'They're on their own race, too,' he said. 'I think people who are going to complain are the people that lost. It's just how the cycle of the race worked out, and good for Alex.' Added Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin: 'It's the luck of the draw in IndyCar racing. At the end of the day, that's just how it works. There were no yellows, and those guys were trying to stay in the game on the lead lap, and if there's a yellow, those guys are back in the race.' Somewhat surprisingly, Sunday's first-time 500 winner has mixed feelings about the topic. 'In my opinion, (showing them a blue flag) is what I would've liked, yes. You always want no traffic cars when you're going for the end of the race, but they've always left those cars there because they're on the lead lap,' Palou told IndyStar on Monday afternoon. 'But then at every track when there's 30% of the race to go, that's it, they shouldn't be up there, but the rules are like that, and Helio (Castroneves) used them the same way I did.' As Palou made a point to note Sunday evening, the three-time IndyCar champ was forced to settle for runner-up in his first Indy 500 with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021 because Castroneves, who was running second behind Palou with just under two laps to go, looked up the track and noticed the pair was quickly approaching (nearly) lapped traffic. So in a race where in clean air the car second in line could pass at ease, Castroneves took what to Palou seemed as if it was a bit premature pass back for the lead. But soon after, the pair essentially joined the train of cars ahead, and in the turbulent air, Palou no longer had an easy pass to make on Castroneves, and he'd remain a few too many car lengths back for the final five miles of the race headed toward the checkered flag. '(Sunday) wasn't boring for me. I was very tense,' said Palou in reference to O'Ward's 'boring' comment about the race that was from his view. 'I mean, would it be better without traffic? Maybe, maybe not. 'It was the situation we were in, and I think he'd probably change his words if he was the guy winning.' The idea that the third or fourth car in line would have difficulty passing a car directly ahead, even if the one trailing was the eventual Indy 500 winner, and the one ahead was a mid-pack car at best, has been a feature of the 500 and IndyCar for a couple years now, as a car that debuted in 2012 has continued to take on more and more weight than it was ever intended to run with. But the addition of the 100-plus pounds related to IndyCar's move to hybrid technology has only exacerbated the issue over the last 11 months, leading to several races with abnormally low numbers of on-track passes, historically long caution-free droughts and passes for the lead on road and street courses that are few and far between. Technology that IndyCar and manufacturer leaders pledged would improve the racing product has, at least in reference to the competitive side of the sport, hampered what cars can do. Though we still saw several passes for the lead throughout Sunday's race from cars jumping one spot up from second-place — as well as a notable highlight-reel move from Conor Daly that saw the Juncos Hollinger Racing driver leap to the lead from third — the Indy car's lack of nimbleness has only further hampered what was already a car, many drivers believe, past the point of no return. 'I think you'd head the same from everybody: (the hybrid) is kinda useless,' Lundgaard said. 'I don't think any one of us really enjoy it. It doesn't give us any benefit, and I think it's just made the racing worse. 'It just causes more problems than it does good.' IndyCar's "car problem," Lundgaard said, has only been worsened by promises of a new car that have been kicked down the road for more than half a decade, now with promises of a new one either in 2027 or 2028. And so the fact a new one wasn't yet ready when IndyCar reached do-or-die mode with its need to shift to hybrid technology to appease its manufacturers, the change only made worse the Frankenstein monster of a car. 'I think the Blackhawk helicopters flying over us (on the pace laps) was the highlight of the day,' Lundgaard said of his 500 that ended with a ninth-place finish on-track and a seventh-place finish in the final results. 'Get (the hybrid) out of the car and give us a new car as quick as possible. We've known for a long time that a new car was coming, but it keeps getting moved, and that's a problem.
Fox Sports
a day ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Practice Shots: Drivers Waste Little Time Finding Limit in Detroit
INDYCAR With the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in the mirrors of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the road ahead features 11 races at 10 venues to end the season. The pursuit of the Astor Challenge Cup is in high gear. Up next: Sunday's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood turned the fastest lap of the first practice on the downtown street circuit, but the No. 27 Siemens AWS Honda sat quiet on pit road for most of the session after taking rear contact from Team Penske's Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) in a two-corner shove that might foreshadow another chaotic race. Mid-race rain and eight cautions slowed last year's 100-lapper, and there was additional car-to-car contact that didn't necessitate a yellow flag. Here are three takeaways from what has transpired in this event after one on-track session: An Adventurous First Practice The 27 car-and-driver combinations have already pushed the limits of the nine-turn, 1.645-mile street circuit. If the contact between Power and Kirkwood wasn't enough, Juncos Hollinger Racing's Sting Ray Robb (No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet) nosed into the tire barrier, and a slew of other drivers directed their cars to run-off areas to avoid wall contact. The question was, who didn't have a tire lockup on the bumpy streets? One of those who scooted off course was Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet). He finished second on the speed chart, which is a morale boost after the New Zealander crashed out of the '500' before the race even started. Indy's top two finishers, Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) and AJ Foyt Racing's David Malukas (No. 4 Clarience Technology Chevrolet), went off course in this weekend's first practice session without contact. Basically, no harm no foul. But again, maybe it's a preview of what's to come for the third race held on this circuit. The drivers will get more track time Saturday in the form of a second practice (9 a.m. ET) and qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (noon ET). Both sessions will air live on FS1, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Sunday's 100-lap race is on FOX at 12:30 p.m. ET. The Race for Second With Palou clutching a staggering 112-point lead after winning five of the season's first six races, the standings reflect a battle for second place. As it stands, it's Arrow McLaren teammates Pato O'Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) and Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) tussling for that position. O'Ward leads Lundgaard by 13 points. The battle for second applies to races, as well. Five different drivers have finished second in the season's first six races. That's Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding, O'Ward in The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix at The Thermal Club, Palou in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Lundgaard in the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park, O'Ward in the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Malukas in the '500.' Andretti Global's Marcus Ericsson (No. 28 Siemens Honda) finished second to Dixon in last year's Detroit race, and he considers this his best track on the schedule, which is saying a lot since he has had three outstanding drives in the '500,' including a win in 2022. Dixon, who has 58 career race wins, has 52 career runner-up race finishes. Both totals rank second all time in their respective categories. Chip Ganassi's Honda-powered team has won both downtown street races in Detroit – Palou in 2023, Dixon last year. Lundgaard: Palou Can't Win 'for the Rest of His Life' Lundgaard scored his best finish in the '500' – he was seventh – and continues to be one of the drivers on the upswing. Lundgaard believes he is having a championship-worthy season, but there's not a lot more he can do until Palou bobbles. 'He can't win the rest of the races for the rest of his life,' Lundgaard said of the Spaniard who was a surprising 15th on Friday's speed chart. 'They're doing everything extremely well. They're executing every opportunity they have, and even if they do make a mistake, they make up for it at the next opportunity they have. It's just a really strong group, and they're just good at every (type of circuit). There is no real weakness. 'But it doesn't take much (to slip up). A small bit of contact, and he's out of a race, you know? It could be (not) his fault, and that could end the streak.' Lundgaard had the fifth-best lap in Friday's practice. O'Ward was seventh. Both hope to be in position to capitalize on Palou's misfortune, if or when that ever comes. recommended
Fox Sports
a day ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Favorites and Sleepers: Detroit
INDYCAR Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood won the last street-circuit race of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 13. Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing won the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on March 2. Palou's teammate Scott Dixon is the defending winner of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. Given Honda's dominance on street courses, scoring 10 wins in the last 11 tries since the start of the 2023 season, this could signify a Chip Ganassi Racing vs. Andretti Global battle for Sunday's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). Pato O'Ward's 2024 St. Petersburg win, driving the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, was the lone exception. Kirkwood, Dixon, Palou, Felix Rosenqvist, Scott McLaughlin and Christian Lundgaard are the six drivers to finish in the top 10 at both street course races this season. How many will remain on that list after an action-packed weekend around the 1.645 mile, nine-turn street circuit? Favorites Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet) McLaughlin finished seventh in 2023 and 20th last year in Detroit but placed fourth in St. Petersburg on March 2 and sixth on April 13 at Long Beach this season. He has three top-six finishes in the last four races on the season, too. Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) Over Dixon's last 16 street course starts, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver has four wins and nine top-six results, including a victory here last year and runner-up in this year's St. Petersburg season opener and eighth in Long Beach. He also finished fourth at Detroit in 2023. Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) Palou has one finish worse than eighth in his last 17 street course starts. He has nine podium finishes and 14 top-six results on these tracks during that span, including a victory March 2 in St. Petersburg and runner-up April 13 at Long Beach. Palou won at Detroit in 2023 but placed 16th last year. On the season, Palou has five wins and a runner-up finish in six starts. Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) Power finished fifth in Long Beach, runner-up and sixth, respectively, at Detroit, and produced seven top-seven finishes in his last 11 street course starts. He has four top-six finishes in the last five races. Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 Siemens AWS Honda) All three of Kirkwood's NTT INDYCAR SERIES victories came on street courses for Andretti Global. He led 53 of 85 laps in his Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach triumph in 2023 and 46 of 90 in April, both from the pole. Kirkwood also earned his second career victory in August 2023 on the streets of Nashville. He finished fifth in St. Petersburg this season and sixth and fourth, respectively, in his last two Detroit starts. Sleepers Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) Lundgaard finished eighth and third, respectively, on street courses races this season. His only NTT P1 Award and victory occurred in July 2023 on the streets of Toronto. This car has placed fifth in the last two Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix races. Lundgaard was 11th for Arrow McLaren last season. Alexander Rossi (No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet) Rossi finished fifth at Detroit the last two years driving for Arrow McLaren and was 10th in the season opener at St. Petersburg. Marcus Ericsson (No. 28 Siemens Honda) Three of Ericsson's four career NTT INDYCAR SERIES victories have come on street circuits. All three came at different venues, St. Petersburg, Nashville and Belle Isle. While he hasn't won on this Detroit circuit, finishing ninth in June 2023 for Chip Ganassi Racing and runner-up last year for Andretti Global, watch out. At the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding, Ericsson finished sixth. Ericsson has qualified seventh and fifth in the pair of street races this season, too. Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 SiriusXM Honda) Rosenqvist came from ninth in the 2023 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear to finish third and was eighth last June. This season, Rosenqvist finished seventh at St. Petersburg and fourth in Long Beach. He has five top-10 finishes in six races this season. Marcus Armstrong (No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda) Armstrong had four top-11 finishes in five street-course starts in 2023. Last season, he finished 12th in Long Beach, third in Detroit and fifth at Toronto. This year, he moved to Meyer Shank Racing and qualified fourth in St. Petersburg and seventh at Long Beach. If he can stay out of trouble, Armstrong could surprise everyone this weekend. recommended
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Indy 500 winner 'should be given a chance' as F1 star begs team to sign him
Alex Palou won the Indy 500 for the first time last weekend and the three-time IndyCar champion is now being linked with a Formula 1 drive in the future – if he wants one Carlos Sainz is adamant that "dominant" Alex Palou should be given a chance to prove what he can do in Formula 1. That call comes after the Spaniard won the famous Indy 500 race for the first time last weekend. It was just the latest in a long list of impressive accomplishments managed by Palou in recent years. He never made it to F1 after a brief spell racing in Formula 2 and moved to Japanese Super Formula before joining the IndyCar grid, where he has thrived. Palou made his debut in the US racing series five years ago and has already become a three-time champion. He looks increasingly likely to secure his fourth crown this year as he is more than 100 points clear of nearest challenger Pato O'Ward, his Indy 500 victory marking five wins from six starts so far in 2025. Sainz knows his compatriot very well having competed against him in junior racing categories. "I always rated Alex very highly because I was his team mate in cadets and he was very quick in cadet karting," the Williams F1 star said. Sign up to our free weekly F1 newsletter, Pit Lane Chronicle, by entering your email address below so that every new edition lands straight in your inbox! "But honestly speaking, what he's doing in America is something really admirable. I think to dominate in the way he's dominating, you have to be very good at what you're doing. Formula 1 is a completely different discipline, different world, but I don't have anything else but respect and admiration for what Alex is doing in Indy. "I think someone that is capable of winning the Indy 500, at least he should at some point be given the chance to show what he can do in Formula 1. And if he's quick enough in Formula 1, then he should be welcomed in Formula 1." Fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso is equally impressed with Palou's success but doesn't see why he would need to switch from IndyCar to F1. "I know that most of the drivers dream about a Formula 1 seat and having a career here, but he had the opportunity in IndyCar and he maximised every single day there," said the Aston Martin racer. "He's a legend in IndyCar and he will be a legend always in IndyCar, so I think he's not missing Formula 1. I'm very happy for him because he's a very, very talented driver. We are just following him from here with a lot of respect and as a fan. I was watching on Sunday the race and just hoping that he would finally make it, and he did it, so I'm happy for him." Palou drove in one F1 practice session for McLaren in 2022, at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. But he split from the outfit in 2023 after reneging on an agreement to join the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team, choosing instead to stick with Chip Ganassi Racing. He flew to London for talks in January this year with the £24million lawsuit still ongoing. In any case, after his Indy 500 win, Palou insisted he is not currently interested in quitting IndyCar for F1. "I don't want to leave now," he said. "[F1] is not calling me anymore. I still follow it – it's a huge series, it's amazing, I'm a big fan – but I don't think they're having as much fun as I'm having here."
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
Alex Palou Savors Spoils of '500' Victory, Big Media Interest during NYC Tour
INDYCAR Alex Palou gained worldwide acclaim, INDYCAR SERIES immortality and a healthy monetary prize for winning the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge last Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But there's a good chance the Spaniard also lost something this week with his win: sleep. Palou embarked on a hectic victory tour stuffed with media engagements and public appearances in Indianapolis and New York just hours after winning 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, his first oval victory and his fifth win in six NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. 'It was a very busy couple of days,' Palou said. 'Went to different studios, different kinds of interviews. I had a lot of fun doing those. Got to experience some cool stuff in New York. 'Every time I was getting tired, the people in INDYCAR gave me small treats, like visiting the Empire State Building or stuff that made my day. It's been awesome. I would repeat this again next year after the '500.'' The celebrations started just a few hours after he took the checkered flag for his first career oval victory. Palou was honored alone on the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis during Game 3 of the Indiana Pacers-New York Knicks' NBA Eastern Conference Finals game. He wore the winner's wreath and a Pacers' jersey with star Tyrese Haliburton's name and number while stepping into the spotlight on the court to rapturous applause of the sellout crowd. On Monday morning, May 26, Palou appeared remotely on morning shows 'FOX and Friends' and 'Good Morning America' in between the winner's photo shoot at IMS and on-site interviews with numerous local and national media outlets, including the Associated Press, FOX Sports and FOX Sports Radio. Then Palou and his family flew to New York that evening for a full schedule of appearances and interviews Tuesday and Wednesday in the country's most populous city, also known as the 'media capital of the world.' Palou appeared live in studio Tuesday morning on 'Good Day New York' on the FOX affiliate FOX 5 NYC before participating in numerous remote interviews with outlets ranging from 'The Dan Le Batard Show,' Muscle & Fitness magazine, the 'Speed Street' podcast hosted by fellow INDYCAR SERIES driver Conor Daly podcast and Spanish media. Then Palou headed to FOX Sports' studios in Manhattan to appear live on the popular daily sports talk show 'First Things First,' which also broadcast live last week from IMS. Co-host Nick Wright proudly wore the winner's wreath and drank the winner's traditional bottle of milk during the segment with Palou. Palou then was whisked to Citi Field in the borough of Queens, where he threw the ceremonial first pitch before the home New York Mets' game against the Chicago White Sox. Palou also gave the command, 'Mascots, start your engines,' on the field for the mascot race in the middle of the third inning. On Wednesday, Palou posed for photos in front an image of him drinking the winner's bottle of milk on the Victory Podium Sunday displayed on the giant video board in front of the NASDAQ stock market in world-famous Times Square. He then visited the observation deck on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building for photos before more interviews with numerous media outlets, including CNN, SiriusXM and many other media in his native Spain. The New York portion of the trip ended early Thursday morning when Palou flew to Detroit and participated in pre-event media activities for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, which takes place Friday through Sunday of this week as the next race on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. recommended
