The percentages getting into the 2024 IndyCar season have been by no means beneficial for Alex Palou. For starters, the attrition of what’s arguably essentially the most aggressive racing class on this planet meant no driver had gained the championship twice in succession in over a decade.
If that weren’t sufficient, six of the ultimate eight rounds all came about on ovals – a observe self-discipline that had but to yield a visit to Victory Lane for him. After which, too, was the unknown of the unprecedented mid-season debut of IndyCar’s hybrid engine.
Regardless of, the Spaniard was his traditional unflappable self. Though the efficiency wasn’t fairly on par together with his stout 2023 title run of 5 wins and a end no decrease than eighth, the precision Palou continued to reveal on a weekly foundation with Chip Ganassi Racing was virtually surgical. He stormed to 3 wins – together with the $1 Million Problem, a non-points spherical at The Thermal Membership – plus 4 extra podiums and three poles en path to hoisting the Astor Cup Trophy for the second consecutive season, and third time over the previous 4 years.
The occasional beatdown Palou has been identified for by no means actually got here this previous marketing campaign. The primary of his two points-paying victories got here on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s highway course structure, the place he recovered from a foul begin from pole with sensational in-lap and out-lap technique to vault into the lead on the penultimate spherical of pitstops earlier than marching on to a 6.6106-second victory.
He took his different points-paying win of the yr at Laguna Seca, the place he led early however was left to drag off a wondrous cross within the Corkscrew on Colton Herta – harking back to an identical transfer Alex Zanardi placed on Herta’s father, Bryan, practically 30 years in the past. It wasn’t all as easy, although, since Palou was pressured to fend off rivals on a late restart within the chaotic, caution-filled affair earlier than crossing the end line 1.9780s forward of Herta.
Palou’s daunting degree of consistency took a success, his streak of 23 consecutive prime 10 finishes in points-paying races coming to an finish with a mediocre sixteenth on the streets of Detroit in early June. That blemish was adopted by three extra mediocre outcomes outdoors the highest 10.
Go on Herta for victory at Laguna Seca was the second and final of Palou’s yr, however he once more proved extra constant than the remaining
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Pictures
These included an uncharacteristically self-inflicted mistake that led to Palou crashing his Honda-powered Dallara out of the opening race of the double-header weekend at Iowa Speedway. Per traditional, although, he was unfazed and rebounded to fight the woeful outings with 13 prime fives by the 17 points-paying rounds, matching his mark from a yr in the past.
There have been, in fact, moments of tension close to the closing phases. Within the penultimate race of the yr, the second act of Milwaukee’s double-header, Palou stopped on the within of the observe throughout tempo laps simply moments earlier than the inexperienced flag.
He was ultimately placed on the hook and towed again to the paddock, the place his workforce went to work and located the offender was a battery difficulty. Upon fixing it, he returned 29 laps down however gained beneficial factors because the attrition-filled contest elevated him eight positions.
“He’s in fairly rarefied air proper now, as they are saying. His identify needs to be amongst and positively within the dialog of the nice drivers”
Chip Ganassi
In flip, he went into the season finale at Nashville Superspeedway with a 33-point lead over Will Energy, the one different driver who remained in rivalry for the title as soon as the race began. And Palou was left beginning twenty fourth whereas Energy’s late try was from fourth on the grid.
However any last-gasp heroics by Energy shortly vanished when a defective seatbelt pressured him to pit his Chevrolet-engined Staff Penske machine. In the long run, Energy’s drawback relegated him to twenty fourth and gave Palou, who completed eleventh, a transparent path to the title.
“We’ve been fortunate to have some nice drivers on the workforce through the years,” says workforce proprietor Chip Ganassi, who additionally ran Dario Franchitti, the earlier back-to-back champion in 2009-11. “You need to make the apparent comparisons, however I don’t know which you could.
“At his age to be doing what he’s doing, having the expertise that he has, particularly with the sequence the best way it’s now with some ovals, these guys aren’t precisely ovalmeisters which might be excelling within the sequence at this time. There are higher oval racers on the market. I’m positive he’ll let you know that. So it’s an fascinating sequence now.
Staff proprietor Ganassi believes his cost is already amongst IndyCar’s greats
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Pictures
“To have a man like Alex in your workforce. I imply, three championships in 4 years… He’s in fairly rarefied air proper now, as they are saying. His identify needs to be amongst and positively within the dialog of the nice drivers.”
Though Energy was the one different driver in title rivalry in Nashville, his seatbelt troubles opened the door for Herta to take centre stage with an exhilarating maiden oval win that ascended the Andretti International driver to a career-best second within the general standings. The outing served as an exclamation level for Herta, who got here into his personal and rebounded in fashion after ending an underwhelming tenth within the championship in every of the earlier two years.
The California native’s different win got here on the streets of Toronto, holding off team-mate Kyle Kirkwood and Chip Ganassi Racing’s six-time champion Scott Dixon to interrupt a 41-race winless drought that dated again to Could 2022. He led the third-most laps of the yr (305) and matched champion Palou with six podiums, whereas additionally scoring a career-best 11 top-fives.
In relation to drivers questioning what may have been, although, that onus probably falls to Staff Penske’s Scott McLaughlin. The ex-Supercars legend took a big step ahead and captured his first oval victory within the opening race of the Iowa double-header, after which validated his abilities even additional by bagging one other within the nightcap of Milwaukee’s two-race weekend.
His 637 laps led in the course of the season have been a series-high, with team-mate Energy the subsequent closest with 366. McLaughlin additionally set the mark with a series-leading seven podiums in points-paying rounds. However that quantity may have been even greater if not for his function in Staff Penske’s push-to-pass scandal in St Petersburg, which wiped away his third-place outcome, together with team-mate Josef Newgarden’s win.
The choice relating to the penalties, which additionally included Energy being docked 10 factors, got here 45 days after the race and led into the third spherical of the championship at Barber Motorsports Park. Amid the turmoil, McLaughlin responded by blocking out the noise, claiming one in all his 5 poles of the yr en path to an authoritative victory. McLaughlin’s three wins tied him with Energy and Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren for many within the sequence in 2024.
If the rostrum lead to St Petersburg was upheld for McLaughlin with how the remainder of the season transpired, he would have drawn degree with Palou at season’s finish with 540 factors, however claimed the championship by way of tiebreaker by advantage of getting extra wins. In the long run, although, he completed third within the title race and was the benchmark among the many Penske trio for the second straight yr.
Enhance saga that meant McLaughlin misplaced his factors from St. Pete finally price Penske the title
Picture by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Pictures
Regardless of lacking out on a correct likelihood to battle for the crown within the ultimate race, Energy’s resurgence was welcomed after enduring a winless 2023. The 43-year-old Aussie ended a drought that went again to Detroit 2022 by main a Penske 1-2-3 sweep of the rostrum at Street America.
Energy additionally stormed to 2 extra victories at Iowa and Portland, bumping his tally as much as 44 in his illustrious profession. Uniquely, although, the all-time pole report holder within the sequence did not seize a prime spot in qualifying for the primary time since 2008.
There was no scarcity of drama surrounding O’Ward. The younger Mexican was credited with the victory in St Petersburg as soon as Newgarden was disqualified. The 2 have been then tangled straight away basic simply three months later within the Indianapolis 500.
Whereas Dixon completed a lowly sixth within the championship, he displayed flashes of his brilliance all through, particularly with a masterclass in fuel-saving on the streets of Lengthy Seaside
O’Ward pulled off a last-lap cross on Newgarden to take the lead, solely to lose the race in heartbreaking style as Newgarden responded with a brave outdoors cross into Flip 3 moments later to assert back-to-back victories in ‘The Best Spectacle in Racing’. That emotional loss for O’Ward ignited a hearth for the second half of the season, which included claiming the primary win of IndyCar’s hybrid period at Mid-Ohio after outduelling Palou.
Then got here the race the place ‘Pato who?’ was born when he took a commanding victory within the opening race at Milwaukee lower than 24 hours after Penske Leisure CEO Mark Miles shared controversial feedback relating to his reputation, notably because it associated to IndyCar getting overwhelmed to the punch by NASCAR to get a race in Mexico. However a combined bag of outcomes left nothing extra to play for than fifth within the title race.
Whereas Dixon completed a lowly sixth within the championship, he displayed flashes of his brilliance all through, particularly with a masterclass in fuel-saving on the streets of Lengthy Seaside. The Kiwi snatched a second victory by dodging the divebomb carnage in Detroit, which put his win whole at 58 (second all-time).
For Newgarden, the two-time sequence champion’s yr may solely be outlined by Indy 500 glory and a complementary win in St Louis after a controversial restart. Too many errors and miscues proved to be the Tennessee native’s downfall and he tumbled to eighth within the championship, straight behind Andretti International’s constant however winless Kyle Kirkwood.
O’Ward made up for his Indy 500 defeat by profitable the primary hybrid period race at Mid-Ohio
Picture by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Pictures
There have been eight totally different winners from 4 totally different groups as soon as the mud settled on the season. Even with the parity, Palou’s resilience and fortitude proved an excessive amount of for anybody to beat. In contrast to his titles in 2021 and 2023, this one stands aside in being his first earned since changing into a father.
Palou put it just by saying: “I wouldn’t change something that I’m dwelling in the mean time.”
Race by race
St Petersburg
1. Pato O’Ward
2. Will Energy
3. Colton Herta
A dominant drive by Newgarden – he leads 92 laps to the highest step of the rostrum. Then it’s wiped away 45 days later after information reveals he and Staff Penske team-mate McLaughlin – who completed third – illegally used overtake on restarts. Each are disqualified, selling O’Ward to the win.
Lengthy Seaside
1. Scott Dixon
2. Colton Herta
3. Alex Palou
Dixon makes use of the one warning to modify to an alternate technique, which vaults him into the lead however forces him into gasoline conservation. Regardless of late hounding by Herta, who’s on the alternative technique and capable of maximise his tempo, the six-time sequence champion holds him off in a defensive masterclass.
Barber
1. Scott McLaughlin
2. Will Energy
3. Linus Lundqvist
Within the wake of Penske’s overtake scandal that blows up earlier within the week, McLaughlin blocks out the noise and storms to victory. He leads a 1-2 for the workforce after keeping off Energy on a late restart with two laps to go. Rookie Lundqvist captures the maiden podium of his profession.
With the fallout from St. Pete nonetheless contemporary, McLaughlin silenced the critics at Barber
Picture by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Pictures
Indianapolis GP
1. Alex Palou
2. Will Energy
3. Christian Lundgaard
Polesitter Palou recovers after falling behind early, utilizing his in and out-lap prowess to safe the lead in the course of the penultimate spherical of pitstops. Energy is a distant second at 6s again, with Lundgaard ending third. Palou takes over the championship lead consequently.
Indy 500
1. Josef Newgarden
2. Pato O’Ward
3. Scott Dixon
An prompt basic options two lead modifications on the final lap as O’Ward passes Newgarden within the strategy to Flip 1, and the two-time sequence champion responds with a courageous outdoors cross of his personal into Flip 3 to safe the lead and change into a back-to-back Indy 500 winner.
Detroit
1. Scott Dixon
2. Marcus Ericsson
3. Marcus Armstrong
Dixon captures the 58th victory of his profession after as soon as once more relying on his gasoline technique mastery, aided by a day of carnage that options eight cautions consuming 47 of 100 laps. Ericsson’s late cost runs out of time however he collects his first podium in Andretti colors.
Street America
1. Will Energy
2. Josef Newgarden
3. Scott McLaughlin
Energy ends a two-year winless drought after overcutting his team-mates throughout pitstops en path to main a Staff Penske sweep of the rostrum. It’s the forty second victory of Energy’s profession, which places him right into a tie with Michael Andretti for fourth on the all-time wins record.
Energy ended his prolonged win drought at Street America throughout a resurgent marketing campaign
Picture by: Artwork Fleischmann
Laguna Seca
1. Alex Palou
2. Colton Herta
3. Alexander Rossi
Palou perfects a flat-out technique to seize the lead from Herta with a stout cross within the Corkscrew. Regardless of a late restart with 4 laps to go, the reigning sequence champion is ready to steadily break free and rating his second win of the season, with Herta practically 2s again.
Mid-Ohio
1. Pato O’Ward
2. Alex Palou
3. Scott McLaughlin
The debut of IndyCar’s hybrid unit doesn’t current many passing alternatives all through the sector, however a battle between O’Ward and Palou is loads enthralling. Palou momentarily stalls exiting the pits, which permits O’Ward the possibility to make a run on the exit into Flip 1 and by no means look again.
Iowa 1
1. Scott McLaughlin
2. Pato O’Ward
3. Josef Newgarden
McLaughlin dominates to take his first oval win, whereas Palou makes an uncharacteristic mistake and crashes out after 175 of 250 laps. The shortage of passing alternatives because of the repaved corners is obvious – O’Ward can solely observe McLaughlin to grab second, with Newgarden third.
Iowa 2
1. Will Energy
2. Alex Palou
3. Scott McLaughlin
Energy takes benefit of a fortunate early warning to catapult from a Twenty second-place begin into the race lead, the place he is ready to maintain agency forward of Palou for the forty third win of his profession. Robb goes airborne in a horrific crash on the ultimate lap after clipping a fuel-starved Rossi.
Palou was denied first oval win by Energy in second Iowa bout
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Pictures
Toronto
1. Colton Herta
2. Kyle Kirkwood
3. Scott Dixon
Herta ends a 41-race winless streak by main 81 of 85 laps from pole, whereas additionally giving Andretti a 1-2 outcome with Kirkwood in tow. In a large accident, Ferrucci climbs a stationary O’Ward in Flip 2 and will get airborne into the catch fence earlier than touchdown the wrong way up on the observe.
St Louis
1. Josef Newgarden
2. Scott McLaughlin
3. Linus Lundqvist
Newgarden’s trickery is on show after lagging on the penultimate restart with lower than 10 laps to go, sparking a multi-car crash that collects Energy, who reveals his displeasure by flipping off his Penske team-mate. On the ultimate restart, Newgarden makes a clear getaway to steer a Penske 1-2 from McLaughlin.
Portland
1. Will Energy
2. Alex Palou
3. Josef Newgarden
Energy passes polesitter Ferrucci at the beginning into Flip 1 and stays untouchable, main 101 of 110 laps and delivering a beatdown by practically 10s over Palou, and greater than 23s on Newgarden. Dixon crashes on the opening lap after being pressured off observe by Kirkwood.
Milwaukee 1
1. Pato O’Ward
2. Will Energy
3. Conor Daly
Lower than 24 hours after Penske Leisure CEO Mark Miles questions O’Ward’s reputation within the sport as to why IndyCar isn’t racing in Mexico, the younger Mexican surges to an emphatic victory on the historic one-mile oval. He leads 133 of 250 laps en path to keeping off a hungry Energy.
O’Ward delivered excellent riposte to Miles’s feedback by profitable at Milwaukee
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Pictures
Milwaukee 2
1. Scott McLaughlin
2. Scott Dixon
3. Colton Herta
Battery points plague Palou within the warm-up laps and threaten his maintain on the crown. Energy leads early on however fails to reap the benefits of Palou’s points, spinning mid-race. McLaughlin holds on amid a late cost by Dixon, amassing his second oval win and seventh general victory of his profession.
Nashville
1. Colton Herta
2. Pato O’Ward
3. Josef Newgarden
Palou steadily climbs up the sector from twenty fourth to complete eleventh and declare his third championship, whereas rival Energy falls behind with a defective seatbelt. Herta hounds O’Ward as the 2 navigate by lapped site visitors, pulling off the profitable cross with 5 laps to go en path to his first oval win.
Herta’s victory at Nashville elevated him to second within the standings
Picture by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Pictures
