In Portland, Alex Palou can already win the IndyCar title

With a 121-point lead (nearly two and a half wins), it would be enough for Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) to finish the Portland race in the wheels of his rival Pato O'Ward (Arrow) McLaren) to secure a fourth title in IndyCar, two rounds from the end of the season. The main interested party is not the type to gently drop into the pack, and to wait patiently behind his rivals.

With eight wins in 14 races, including a victory at the Indianapolis 500 last May, Palou is having a season that has not been seen since 2007, when Sébastien Bourdais also won eight victories. But this was in the era of Champ Car, which was in its final season and offered little resistance to a Newman/Haas impeccably in place, and which saw its French driver win a fourth consecutive title.

Since the "reunification" (more like the absorption of Champ Car by IndyCar) in 2008, never has a driver so quenched his thirst for success in one year. And while his predecessors, winners of the Indy 500, often experienced a more complicated second half of the season, the Spaniard is the most recent winner, on the Laguna Seca road course in California. A victory that allowed him to regain his lead in the championship, and open a path to a fourth title, the third consecutive, starting this weekend. Enough to look forward to the trip to Oregon.

"I'm very excited. I mean, there are a lot of reasons to be excited, but first and foremost, it's a place I love, where we've had very good results in the past.", he explained at a press conference. “I feel like with such a magical season, we can do even better. I can't wait to get out there and see how our car performs. This year, it's been fantastic everywhere we've been, especially on the road courses. Yes, I can't wait to get out there.”

A very little changed team

It must be said that the Spaniard has fond memories of Portland International Raceway since his first visit in 2020. In four participations, he has won there twice, finishing on the podium once more. Winner in 2023, Palou won his second championship title there, and launched him on the trajectory for a third consecutive title this year, a feat that has not been achieved since Dario Franchitti from 2009 to 2011. The Scot drove the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing car… A team that has undergone a slight overhaul since then, but which has retained key players such as strategist Barry Wanser and chief mechanic Ricky Davis.

“Continuity is one of the biggest keys. I think it contributes to how the car works and executes. When I say the car, I mean the group in general, when it comes to strategies or the pace we have, sometimes it's because of all the experience behind it. I would say there are the same important people in the car. It's a lot of work. Ricky had a big knee operation and he has I don't know how much metal in his knee, so he's putting in the effort. Barry has been fighting cancer, and we've done our best not to wear him out. So we're trying to keep the whole group the same in the No. 10 car. I would say probably 25 to 30 percent of why we've been so good is consistency on the team side.”

Should he fail to clinch the title this Sunday (start at 21:20 p.m.), Palou would have two more match points in Milwaukee and Nashville. Three chances to complete a dream season, which would allow him to become the first driver to achieve the Indy 500/championship double since Dario Franchitti in 2010. No need to draw you a picture of the car he drove...

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