05/01/26 08:46:00
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05/01 08:45 CDT Alex Palou lands a multi-year Ganassi contract extension after
a banner week at Indy
Alex Palou lands a multi-year Ganassi contract extension after a banner week at
Indy
By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
Since joining Chip Ganassi Racing six seasons ago, Spanish driver Alex Palou
has shown to be a generational talent who is quickly working his way through
IndyCar's record books.
For that, Palou has earned a multi-year contract extension on his current deal
that ran through the 2027 season. The extension was finalized following this
week's two-day Indianapolis 500 test. Ganassi never publicly discloses contract
terms.
The reward capped a celebratory week for Palou, who drove into Indianapolis
Motor Speedway as the defending Indy 500 winner for testing and saw a
larger-than-life banner of himself chugging the traditional winner's milk. It's
the main banner as you enter the speedway --- key placement he'd seen reserved
for rival drivers the previous six years.
"I took a picture when I was driving by and sent it to my parents," Palou said.
Palou has won four IndyCar championships in five years, including the last
three consecutive titles. He won eight times last season, including the 500, as
he's blossomed in IndyCar since joining Ganassi in 2021.
Ahead of the Long Beach Grand Prix two weeks ago, former Indy 500 winner
Alexander Rossi was asked if anything had surprised him through the first
quarter of the season. His response was immediate: "Yeah, that Alex has only
won two races. And isn't the points leader."
Palou responded by winning Long Beach to give him three wins through five races
this year and reclaim the top spot in the championship standings.
"It's incredible, actually amazing," said rival driver Will Power, a two-time
IndyCar champion and Indianapolis 500 winner. "It's something I've been
thinking about the last week or so because once again, he's gone out and won
three out of five races. I mean (Kyle) Kirkwood's average finish is like
three-point-something and he's not leading the championship, which is insane.
"So it's something I'm absolutely, like, how is he doing that week in, week
out? Well, it's one, he's qualifying well. Two is he executes in the race and
three is the pit stops, you know, top notch, there's no mistakes in there. And
he's fast. So that's what it takes when you're driving out there."
His 22 career victories through 103 starts ranks fifth in 121 years of IndyCar
history. Sebastien Bourdais won 31 times in that span in the diluted Champ Car
era, A.J. Foyt won 30, Mario Andretti 27 and Ralph DePalma 26.
Palou's four titles already match Andretti and Bourdais, and in the post-World
War II era, Palou's 61 top-five finishes in his 103 starts trails only
Andretti, who had 64.
Dario Franchitti, a four-time IndyCar champion and three-time Indy 500 winner,
is now a driver coach and consultant for Ganassi. He believes there hasn't been
a driver this dominant in the series since Alex Zanardi, who won 12 races and
back-to-back titles for Ganassi in 1997 and 1998.
"Winning one championship is one thing, but then the subsequent ones, it gets
progressively more difficult," Franchitti said. "Just watching what he's done,
and at this early stage in his career, it's something very special. And the
level of domination, that's the icing on the cake.
"You feel sorry for the others. I've said to him a number of times, ?I would
have hated racing against you.' He is the complete package."
At Long Beach last month, rival driver Pato O'Ward conceded his McLaren team
has not closed the gap at all on Palou and the No. 10 Ganassi team.
"The guy goes into every weekend being able to win. Honestly, it's impressive
to see," O'Ward said. "The gap is as big as its been and we're working hard to
try to be at the level he is of being able to win every race, but we don't have
that."
Connor Daly believes the domination is a combination of Palou's flawless
performances and the strength of his race team.
"Alex is very good, but that team when they're called upon, they don't make
mistakes and that is what is so important about this game," Daly said.
"Everything has to be, everyone has to be on the same page and he is, like
without a doubt, one of the best drivers in the world right now."
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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