Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou in the No. 10 HRC Honda was utterly dominant at the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday (May 4). Starting the race from pole position, the Spaniard led 81 of 90 laps! Palou has now won three of the opening four races of the season.
“It was a perfect day for us,” the Spaniard said after the race. “Getting the pole was a huge milestone for the team. We tried to open the gap early on. I was getting happier and happier toward the end of the race.”
The victory has increased Palou’s hold on the championship and gives him momentum going into the Sonsio Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Palou heads into next weekend’s Sonsio Grand Prix on the IMS Road course with a 60-point lead over Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard, who has moved into second place in the championship following his third podium in four races.
Lundgaard was 16 seconds behind Palou but has shown great consistency since joining Arrow McLaren over the offseason. The Danish driver heads to the Speedway off the back of two third-place finishes and his second place at Barber.
Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood has dropped to third place in the championship following a tough race at Barber, where he qualified 18th and came home 11th.
Pato O’Ward has moved up two places in the championship from sixth to fourth in the standings following his sixth-place finish and will be hoping to continue this momentum during the month of May.
Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin has moved up three spots in the championship from eighth to fifth in the standings with 105 points, 91 points behind Palou.
“The Good Ranchers Chevy has been fast the last three years,” the New Zealander said. “We didn’t have enough today. Props to Alex [Palou] and Lundgaard as well, who were super quick. We had the third-best car today. It was a very interesting race, but I wish we had a little bit more tire life on our car. But overall, we’re all good.”
Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist has dropped two places in the championship from fourth to sixth while Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon came from 26th on the grid to finish 12th, making up 14 places in the race. However, Dixon has lost one place in the championship, dropping to seventh, and is now 92 points behind his teammate Palou.
Colton Herta has dropped down one place in the championship from seventh to eighth following a seventh-place finish on Sunday in Barber. This is a disappointing result for the Californian who started the race from third place on the grid, but he was plagued with pit road troubles, stalling his car on the stop.
Will Power has maintained ninth place in the championship with 93 points following a fifth-place finish in Barber. However, he referred to the race as having “not much action,” citing a lack of on-track passing. The Australian is in a contract year with Team Penske and will hope for strong races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway over the next few weeks.
Dale Coyne Racing’s Rinus VeeKay surprised the paddock this weekend by qualifying and racing in the top five! This is a great accomplishment for the underdog team, and it must bring them great confidence, enthusiasm and momentum heading into the next three weekends in Indianapolis. VeeKay has moved up four spots in the championship from 16th to 12th following a fantastic fourth-place finish this weekend.
Palou’s incredible start to the season, with three victories from four races, shows how incredibly fast he is. It also shows that he has been able to get his head around the new hybrid system quicker than most, and that begs the question: is it any wonder that he has been nicknamed the Professor?
We should also take a long look at what VeeKay did with Dale Coyne Racing. The Dutch driver started the race in fifth and came home fourth, which were the team’s best qualifying and race results in a long time.
Likewise, Dixon in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda had a tough qualifying, starting in 26th place. The Iceman did what he does best and made the most of the situation, making up a total of 14 places to finish 12th. Still, he will be hoping that May brings better fortune for him as he goes after his seventh series title.
When it comes to the manufacturers’ championship, Honda holds an 82-point lead in the standings over Chevrolet, having scored four victories and two pole positions from the opening four races of the season.
The IndyCar Series may have only just completed its fourth race of the season, but Alex Palou is really carving out a path to claiming his third championship in a row.
