Alex Palou took a superb victory at The Thermal Club for Chip Ganassi Racing but admitted that Arrow McLaren are starting to close the gap as he made it 2/2 in the 2025 IndyCar season.
The reigning champion was favourite for pole position after his practice + round 1 and 2 pace in qualifying, but he ended up in third place on the grid behind the two Arrow McLaren’s.
After Pato O’Ward led 51 laps at Thermal, Palou battled past the Mexican’s teammate Christian Lundgaard, who looked assured all weekend. The Dane fought hard but in the end had to concede the spot.
Palou then had a free run at the race leader, enjoying the extra grip of the softer Firestone Alternate tyres up against O’Wards Primary rubber.
Arrow McLaren took a step forward this weekend as O’Ward took pole position, and two of their three cars ended up on the podium after 65 laps.
Alex Palou adamant Chip Ganassi were “probably superior”
Palou feels his Chip Ganassi team were on a higher level to the rest of the field at The Thermal Club but Arrow McLaren weren’t far behind.
He told Pit Debrief and other media after the race: “They’ve done a really good job. I feel the competition is really, really high in INDYCAR.
“When you see two drivers from the same team up there fighting every single session, that means that they have a good car and they are closer to you. Let’s say, like St. Pete for us, I think overall we had an amazing package and probably superior to everybody else.”
The big gains McLaren made
Palou highlighted the fact that McLaren improved a lot in Palm Springs compared to last season. None of their three cars made it to the final of the $1 Million challenge.
A strong McLaren means Pato O’Ward’s huge following will keep coming to events, according to the Spanish star.
“Here I would say that McLaren got really close, especially with how much they struggled last year in the heat races. I think they got no drivers in the All-Star Race. It’s pretty impressive.
“It’s good. I think it’s good for the championship – it’s good for the competition. It’s good for Pato’s fans, so they keep on coming to the races. It’s good for us, as well.”
Palou was the class of the field in the final few laps. Traffic was a topic of discussion after the race as Pato O’Ward slammed Arrow McLaren’s Chevrolet affiliates after not making life difficult enough for Palou who is powered by Honda.
Lundgaard battled hard with Palou over second place, but the Spaniard had some assistance from Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Louis Foster who made life difficult for O’Ward when about to go a lap down. A gap of 7s soon became nothing, although it is clear the CGR driver would have caught anyway.
Alex Palou’s consistency makes him tough to beat
Palou is a three-time IndyCar champion and the Spaniard is pushing for a fourth championship to equal Sebastien Bourdais and Dario Franchitti.
He is yet to win on an oval, but the driver of the No. 10 cars prowess on road courses and street circuits makes him very tough opposition.
The third round of the season at Long Beach holds good memories for Palou as he clinched his first title there in 2021. Another successful weekend in California will put him in a very strong position as the Indy 500 draws nearer.
