The 2024 IndyCar Season has concluded, crowning Alex Palou as its champion for a 3rd time in simply 5 seasons. And all whereas Palou was preventing for a three-time champion end, the remainder of the season stuffed itself out with sufficient intrigue, including in drama and controversy, together with the complexities of the long-awaited hybrid system. However ultimately, it was a surprising show of racing — demonstrating why this sequence is taken into account the most effective in open-wheel racing within the nation.
Now, Palou could have topped IndyCar’s 2024 standings, however the place does he stand in Motorsport’s rankings? Our esteemed IndyCar author, Joey Barnes, provides us his prime 10 drivers of the 2024 season.
VeeKay ended the season exterior the highest 10 within the factors standings, however nonetheless impressed on his ECR swansong
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
Whereas the tip of season desk left Rinus VeeKay thirteenth within the championship standings, he had a robust 12 months contemplating he was the second-highest positioned driver in a automotive not affiliated in a technical alliance of the “Massive 4” consisting of Andretti International, Arrow McLaren, Chip Ganassi Racing or Crew Penske.
Teamed with Ed Carpenter Racing, the Dutchman took a big step ahead as a pacesetter whereas additionally serving to discover an elevated degree of consistency and tempo because the group received deeper into the season.
He solely had two top-10 outcomes by way of the opening 9 points-paying rounds, however then discovered kind over the subsequent eight races, which included his greatest end of the season with fifth at Iowa and 4 further prime 10s.
His mark of seven top-10 finishes was higher than the 2 drivers that completed forward of him within the general standings — Christian Lundgaard and Felix Rosenqvist (each with 5) — and in addition stood as a career-best over his 5 years in North America’s premier open-wheel championship.
Regardless of the certified success, Ed Carpenter Racing and Veekay parted methods on the finish of the season, with the staff bringing on Alexander Rossi in his place.
Ferrucci usually punched above his league in partnership with AJ Foyt Racing
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
The mixture of Santino Ferrucci and AJ Foyt Racing persevering with for a second consecutive season collectively regarded deadly at occasions. This 12 months featured a technical alliance with Crew Penske, which little doubt helped set up an improved baseline at numerous occasions.
Nonetheless, there was a job to be finished and the execution was a match for the raised expectations. The small outfit scored a formidable 11 prime 10 finishes in the course of the 12 months, together with a pair of fourths within the double-header spherical at Milwaukee.
The one place there have been loads of expectations on the shoulder of the 26-year-old pilot was the Indianapolis 500, particularly after his thrilling third-place end in 2023. This 12 months, he as soon as once more delivered a stirring qualifying efficiency and began sixth, however wasn’t fairly as deadly within the race as he led only one lap en path to ending eighth. It stood as his sixth prime 10 in as many Indy 500 begins.
The Connecticut native additionally captured his first profession pole at Portland after out-dueling pseudo-teammate Energy. He ended the 12 months ninth, a private greatest. It was additionally the primary time Foyt positioned a driver within the prime 10 of the ultimate standings since 2002, when Airton Daré completed ninth within the all-oval sequence then nonetheless referred to as the Indy Racing League.
Kirkwood could not have secured a victory however he nonetheless picked up a career-best haul of top-10 finishes
Picture by: Perry Nelson / Motorsport Photos
The victories could not have been there for the native of Jupiter, Florida, however Kyle Kirkwood nonetheless had lots to relish in 2024 as he established a greater degree of consistency. The Andretti International driver’s 5 prime fives and 11 prime 10s had been a career-best over his three seasons in IndyCar. Along with a decent runner-up outing on the streets of Toronto, he bolstered his popularity on ovals.
Kirkwood began his mark on ovals in 2024 with a seventh within the Indy 500 and matched it within the first race of the doubleheader weekend at Iowa. An eighth within the opening race of Milwaukee’s doubleheader continued the theme, but it surely was Nashville the place he actually demonstrated his improved oval prowess.
After beginning on pole, he led 67 laps and needed to overcome an unfortunately-timed warning, which got here out moments into the preliminary spherical of pit stops. Nonetheless, the tempo was there for Kirkwood to shoot again by way of the sector, in the end ending fourth.
If the outcomes of his consistency had been raised simply one other two spots increased on common, he very properly might seemingly be a risk on the prime three within the general championship combat.
Not one in all Newgarden’s greatest years, but it surely yielded a second consecutive Indy 500 win
Picture by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Photos
Successful the Indy 500 salvaged what was in any other case a season to overlook for Josef Newgarden.
Whereas he throttled to what gave the impression to be a dominating assertion win within the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, a black cloud rolled in and stripped him of victory 45 days later attributable to unlawful use of the overtake enhance.
The Tennessee native’s different victory at St Louis wasn’t with out controversy, both. He was the chief for a late restart when a pile-up behind took out Penske teammate Energy, who squared the blame at Newgarden.
Even with six podiums on the 12 months, it actually was a run of feast or famine. An eighth-place end within the championship marked Newgarden’s worst end result since becoming a member of Penske in 2017.
The run of excellent outcomes had been hindered by eight finishes exterior of the highest 10, together with 4 of twenty fifth or worse. A two-time sequence champion, Newgarden’s tempo was immense at occasions, however the errors, both self-inflicted within the race or qualifying, proved an excessive amount of to beat.
Though his run because the “Oval King” is now being challenged by Crew Penske teammate McLaughlin and Arrow McLaren’s O’Ward, Newgarden remained an enormous risk. He grew to become the primary back-to-back Indy 500 winner since Helio Castroneves in 2001-02.
Essentially the most profitable driver within the area once more confirmed off Dixon doing Dixon issues
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
There have been flashes of Scott Dixon doing Dixon issues in 2024, however there have been additionally loads of weird outcomes that in the end left him out of an opportunity for a seventh sequence championship.
The nice was undoubtedly the masterclass at Lengthy Seashore, the place the Chip Ganassi Racing stalwart took benefit of an early warning to go onto an alternate technique and delivered by hitting an enormous gasoline quantity whereas keeping off a charging Colton Herta. Dixon additionally delivered one other victory in a moist and wild spherical in Detroit, overcoming the carnage that set off quite a few cautions.
The last word punch to the nether areas seemingly occurred at Mid-Ohio when a hybrid subject — within the debut of the up to date energy unit — struck in the course of the tempo laps within the buildup to the inexperienced flag. Even with that end result, nevertheless, the New Zealander ended the 12 months with simply 5 podiums and 7 prime fives in 17 rounds — a substantial hole to Ganassi teammate Palou. Moreover, he had an uncharacteristic 5 finishes of fifteenth or worse.
Dixon ended the 12 months sixth within the championship standings, which marked the primary time since 2016 he completed exterior the highest 5; that 12 months, he additionally completed sixth.
5. Pato O’Ward
O’Ward endured a dramatic marketing campaign filled with success and heartbreak however stays the most effective drivers within the area
Picture by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Photos
There was no scarcity of drama surrounding Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward in 2024. Though there have been three wins after a barren 2023, he ended the 12 months one place decrease within the standings in fifth.
The Mexican was promoted to victory in St. Petersburg after Newgarden was disqualified, however then went on to report three mediocre outcomes of thirteenth or worse over the subsequent three points-paying occasions. It wasn’t till the Indy 500 that issues had been again on monitor.
O’Ward pulled off a last-lap move on Newgarden to take the lead, solely to lose the race in heartbreaking vogue as Newgarden responded with a courageous exterior move two corners later into Flip 3. It was an emotional loss for O’Ward, but it surely ignited a hearth for the second half of the season that included claiming the primary win of IndyCar’s hybrid period at Mid-Ohio after keeping off Palou.
He additionally handed IndyCar one in all — maybe the — most embarrassing moments of the 12 months by successful the opening race at Milwaukee lower than 24 hours after Penske Leisure CEO Mark Miles shared controversial feedback relating to his recognition, which got here in mild of the sequence being crushed to going to Mexico by NASCAR. All in all, although, outcomes had been extra of the identical as random mechanical mishaps plagued his possibilities of a very particular season.
Again in victory lane and within the hunt for the title, Energy was properly and actually again
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
2024 kicked off with the 43-year-old Aussie again to mirroring the tempo that helped him win the 2022 title. Will Energy was a transparent drawback to cope with after three runner-up finishes within the opening 4 rounds, earlier than including three wins and one other runner-up to deliver a season tally of seven podiums – tying Crew Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin for many within the sequence.
There was a late surge for a attainable third title, which was wiped away within the season finale after a seatbelt subject hindered any likelihood to dethrone Palou. It was greater than the random defective subject at Nashville, although. Energy’s season additionally had loads of snags, together with clashing with McLaughlin in Toronto.
Whereas working fourth in St. Louis, he was additionally the harmless bystander of an odd late restart by Newgarden, which resulted in a crash and adopted with an emotional scene of displaying Newgarden he was ‘No. 1’.
There was a transparent likelihood to take the championship lead within the penultimate spherical at Milwaukee after Palou was hindered by a battery subject, however Energy’s mid-race spin wiped it away. It was additionally the primary time since 2008 that Energy, the motive force with extra pole positions to his title than every other, failed to assert a prime spot in qualifying.
3. Colton Herta
Herta shrugged off two years of struggles to get again to the entrance of the sequence
Picture by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Photos
It was a renaissance marketing campaign for Andretti International’s main man. Not solely did Colton Herta rebound after two consecutive down years mired tenth within the general standings, he did so in spectacular type.
Early consistency that included two podiums within the opening 4 rounds was derailed after crashing out whereas working second within the Indy 500 after which once more after a blunder in Detroit, however the California native was in a position to persevere with a masterful drive in Toronto and ended a 41-race winless drought that dated again to 2022.
He then went on to attain 4 prime fives during the last 5 rounds, together with a maiden oval victory within the Nashville season finale. His two wins and 6 podiums put him a career-best second within the championship.
Total, there was quite a bit to understand as Herta demonstrated a distinct degree of maturity this previous season. He shook off any doubts of his oval prowess after out-dueling O’Ward in Nashville, whereas additionally not permitting unhealthy outcomes to fester in a month-long slog.
If Herta can proceed this degree of kind and even add to it, he might show to be a handful for the remainder of the paddock.
2. Scott McLaughlin
The Penske scandal ended up costing McLaughlin the IndyCar title
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
There is likely to be no larger “what might have been” story of this previous season than Scott McLaughlin.
The ex-Supercars legend took a big step ahead by capturing his maiden oval win within the opening race of the Iowa double-header, then furthered it by bagging one other within the nightcap of Milwaukee’s doubleheader. He led a series-high 637 laps, with Energy the subsequent closest at 366.
McLaughlin additionally tied the mark with Energy of a series-leading seven podiums in points-paying rounds. That quantity might have been increased if not for his function in Penske’s push-to-pass scandal in St. Pete, which wiped away a third-place end result together with teammate Newgarden’s win.
Regardless of the penalty, which got here 45 days later main into the third spherical at Barber, McLaughlin responded by blocking out the noise and claimed one in all his 5 poles of the 12 months earlier than taking an authoritative victory. McLaughlin’s three wins tied him with Energy and O’Ward for many within the sequence in 2024.
If the rostrum end in St. Petersburg was upheld, with how the remainder of the season transpired, McLaughlin would have drawn degree with Palou at season’s finish with 540 factors. However the Kiwi would have claimed the championship by way of tiebreaker by advantage of getting extra wins.
1. Alex Palou
Palou grew to become the primary driver to safe back-to-back titles in over a decade
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
Alex Palouwas as soon as once more in prime kind in 2024. Coming in because the defending sequence champion, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver went on to turn out to be the primary to go back-to-back since Dario Franchitti’s three-peat from 2009-11.
This previous 12 months Palou netted two victories, six podiums and three poles within the 17 points-paying rounds, with a stellar present of ending within the prime 5 in 13 races. Moreover, he was untouchable within the $1 Million Problem; main each session, beginning on pole and main each lap within the warmth race and important occasion in IndyCar’s non-points spherical at The Thermal Membership.
The primary of Palou’s moments on the highest step of the rostrum exterior of the exhibition race got here on the Indianapolis street course. He overcame a nasty begin from pole and utilized his tempo on in- and out-laps to seek out the entrance of the sector.
The second got here at Laguna Seca, the place he led early earlier than pulling off a wild move within the Corkscrew on Herta — harking back to the same transfer Alex Zanardi placed on Herta’s father, Bryan, practically 30 years in the past. From there, the Spaniard fended off rivals on a late restart to cap an excellent victory.
His glorious kind previous to a battery glitch on the second Milwaukee race and an underwhelming Nashville finale meant Palou could not be caught and has firmly entered the dialogue as one in all IndyCar’s true greats.
Palou solely gained twice in points-paying occasions, however was nonetheless on the head of the pack
Picture by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Photos
