Leading the championship from the start, something "huge" for Palou

To begin his second season in IndyCar, Álex Palou had the luxury of beating the entire field to win at Barber. The foundations of a victorious 2021 season, which led him to his first title. If he had not repeated such a feat on the way to his 2023 and 2024 crowns, the native of Sant Antoni de Vilamajor raised his arms first, this Sunday in St. Petersburg (Florida). An important victory for the driver of the Dallara-Honda n ° 10. Palou believes that if this does not guarantee him a title at the end of the year, the momentum given by a good start to the season can snowball in the following races, before the Indianapolis 500 Miles, the turning point of the season.

“It’s huge. It shows everybody on the team that the work we put in all winter matters. We show it by getting ahead on the scoreboard. It doesn’t mean a lot for the championship yet, but it means a lot for the momentum we can take into the next couple of races. I think it’s huge. 2021 was a little different. It was my first time being on the team or leading the championship, so it was kind of like, ‘oh my God, what are we doing here,’ whereas now I think we’re a little more used to it.”

Super Palou

While the Catalan is now used to leading the IndyCar championship, winning on the streets of St. Petersburg was not part of his arsenal. The tracks on which Chip Ganassi Racing rarely win are not legion, but apart from the two victories of Dario Franchitti in 2011 and Marcus Ericsson in 2023, CGR was neglecting the bouquets of winners in St. Pete. Not this year, where the American team also took a double, with Scott Dixon. The New Zealander also finished second for the fifth time on this circuit, without ever seeing Victory Lane…

"I can't be happier", added Palou for his part. It's been a long off-season for everyone at CGR and Honda, they've really worked hard for this first meeting because c"It was one of the places we've struggled the most in the past. I wanted to win, but I didn't expect it to be the case this year. It shows the incredible work the whole team has done in the offseason."

While it is always difficult to draw conclusions after a single race weekend, the confidence displayed by Álex Palou at the end of this event can only worry his opponents... “It feels better. It’s a lot better than last time in St. Pete, honestly. Yeah, I feel very, very confident with the way the car handled here. Like I said, we’ve always struggled here for one reason or another, and now we feel like this is what I need and what we need as drivers to push and get 100 percent out of the machine.”

IndyCar is now heading to California and the Thermal circuit on March 23, where the reigning winner is none other than a certain Álex Palou!

ALSO READ > René Rosin: "I'm not coming to America to finish 19th and 20th"