Alex Palou has made historical past. The Barcelona native has been topped the winner of the 2025 Indianapolis 500. One of the best race on the planet, which was first held in 1911, has needed to wait 114 years and see 109 editions of the Indy 500 to see a Spanish driver obtain the legendary triumph.
And he has waited for probably the most illustrious driver to have defended Spain within the gigantic North American nation, the three-time IndyCar champion, on his option to 4 and already, with out dialogue, top-of-the-line who’ve trodden the tracks of america… and one of many nice representatives of Spain in world sport. And, any more, an immortal legend.
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As a result of Palou has earned the suitable to have his face eternally on the Borg Warner trophy just like the greats, all the time being on the entrance, realizing learn how to navigate by the storm that was your entire first half of the race and executing to perfection probably the most desired finish
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A desired victory… and a hard-fought one
Nevertheless, it was not with out anguish. Palou needed to overcome a number of traps that the race put in entrance of him. The primary one was within the first cease to refuel and alter tires: the chaos among the many leaders on the exit of the pits virtually ruined his race prematurely. He needed to make an evasive maneuver to dodge Rosenqvist and with Pato O’Ward virtually hitting him from behind. He got here out unscathed however the ghost of VeeKay 2023, in the same motion, certainly hovered within the thoughts of the champion.
He then rolled greater than half a lap behind Alex Rossi when the American was shedding fluids in his Carpenter… however fortunately it did not have an effect on him… despite the fact that the liquid could possibly be seen in his onboard digicam. And in the long run he needed to impose himself in probably the most tough approach, towards vehicles with higher gasoline technique. By just a few laps, however higher.
A grasp’s end
It was the case of Malukas’ stunning AJ Foyt and Ericsson’s Andretti, who had been coated all through the race however with a barely totally different pit cease timing that allowed him to seem in the important thing stretch, with 30 to go, on the entrance… and with out having to save lots of gasoline.
Nevertheless, main the way in which shouldn’t be all the time straightforward and Palou, in these final 25 laps, stayed within the Swede’s slipstream, saving to make up his deficit with him. Ericsson tried to keep away from it by letting himself cross with 14 laps to go, however the Spaniard nonetheless had two lapped drivers forward of him who had the identical balmy impact on him.
The important thing within the ultimate 10 laps was whether or not Palou had managed to save lots of sufficient gasoline to carry off Ericsson (one thing we knew with six laps to go from a message from his strategist, Barry Wanser) and whether or not he would have the ability to execute a distinct end to 2021, the place the legendary Castroneves taught him learn how to win a 500-mile race.
And Palou nailed it. Actually, exactly as a result of he ran for greater than 15 laps profiting from two lapped vehicles, a method just like the one utilized by Castroneves in 2021, he was capable of attain the tip with ease. And within the ultimate two laps, he did because the Swede did in his successful 12 months, breaking the slipstream… till a yellow flag with one lap to go gave him victory and everlasting glory.
A nail-biting first half
The 2025 Indy 500 shall be remembered for a few years to come back for the depth of its first half… within the unhealthy sense. As a result of it was so accident-prone that on the monitor there was a sure scenario of anguish
Actually, even earlier than the inexperienced flag flew, there was already an elimination. The delay within the begin as a result of a slight rain dampened the spirits of the group, who had been fully annoyed when Scott McLaughlin (Penske) crashed into the wall after shedding the automotive after one of many typical zig-zags to heat up the tires. Maybe the monitor was not but in good situation…
Nearly with out a break, hearth appeared on the left rear of Scott Dixon’s Ganassi Honda, which nonetheless continued on monitor. When the inexperienced flag might lastly be waved… one other accident, this time Marco Andretti’s, who noticed his solely race of the 12 months final lower than two corners.
Rain returned barely on lap 18 and with it the first yellow flag cease. As if the strain wasn’t sufficient, that pit cease virtually shattered Palou’s hopes early on, however he was saved. As well as, that cease was the tomb of Robert Shwartzman, who was relegated past the highest 20
From then on, the race appeared to circulation a bit of extra, however the drama was compounded when a fluid leak in Alex Rossi’s Carpenter compelled the American to pit on lap 78. Instantly, his automotive caught hearth and there have been moments of nice pressure as the hearth unfold by his pit, affecting members of his workforce
Shortly afterwards, VeeKay crashed in pit lane, most likely on account of Rossi’s fluid leak. Sato led till the third cease, when he made a mistake within the pits by overshooting the stopping level, costing him worthwhile positions. Happily, this error didn’t have penalties for his workforce, in contrast to Shwartzman, who took out three Prema mechanics
It did not cease there as a result of on the restart, Kyle Larson’s dream of ‘The Double’ was over. He meant to finish the Indianapolis 500, get out of the automotive, take a helicopter and fly to North Carolina to run the NASCAR Coca Cola 600, a contest he leads. Eight vehicles had been already out earlier than the midway level and the most important beneficiaries of this chaos (with virtually half of the race below yellow) had been… Penske, with Newgarden already within the high 10.
Nevertheless, evidently ‘karma’ was merciless to the workforce of the IndyCar proprietor and the Indianapolis circuit as a result of issues with the gasoline provide eradicated the double winner of the Indy 500 from the battle when he was already within the high six. However in the present day was not his day: it was Palou’s.
