Álex Palou: First Spanish Indy 500 Winner

Álex Palou wrote a new page in the history of Spanish sport. The one of San Antonio de Vilamajor became the first Spaniard to conquer one of the three jewels of the triple crown of world motor racing, possibly the most elusive: the 500 miles of Indianapolis. The three -time Indycar champion has removed the thorn that had to have achieved the title without having conquered the legendary oval, the ‘Brickyard‘, which culminates a career in which he touched Formula 1 without the need to reach it.

Palou became giant in the race in which legends such as Mario Andretti, Aj Foyt, Unser or Helio Castroneves were forged, but also where pilots with more international pedigree, such as Fernando Alonso, failed loudly. Indiana’s oval is possibly one of the most capricious to choose its winners.

In this edition, Palou left from pole and as a great favorite. The Barcelona has been the reference for several seasons, and together with the chip team has formed a fearsome pair that has even made him put aside the siren songs of Formula 1, which from McLaren called him with shy shouts. The threat of rain, which appeared in a very brief way, feared that the race was not even disputed.

Palou knew that his career was not going to be complete until he won this test. «I don’t believe it. I am burst of tiredness, but this has been an amazing race, ”he said almost out of breath after a career in which circumstances were not easy. Everything was consumed in the absence of 14 laps, in a quintet that shared with Marcus Ericsson, Expiloto de F1 and winner of the 500 miles of Indianapolis in 2022, David Malukas, Pato O’ward and Félix Rosenqvist. The five left with serious options, but it was Palou who threw the rest and dared to get rid of the Swede at the critical moment. The strategy benefited him: the team knew how and when he should stop to replace, something that for those who follow the formula 1 seems science fiction but that in the United States continues to maintain. In Indianapolis it is also key to those who want to win: saving a stop, for example, is critical.

Palou also knew how to dodge the incidents and pull the head from the beginning. This edition already began with mess from the Tour of Training, when Roberto Guerrero collided without even leaving. Nerves to start while two spectacular helicopters of the United States army made them the hall of honor at the beginning. Then it was the turn of Marco Andretti, Rinus Veekay, Schwartzmann -who took three of his mechanics in a refueling in front of him -Kyle Larson or Josef Newgarden himself, winner of the last two editions of the 500 miles. All of them lived in their flesh a difficult race, marked by the strong wind and a surprisingly low temperature for what they were accustomed to piloting, especially the most veteran.

This is where Palou threw the rest. Accused too many times of being an almost unbeatable pilot in routeros circuits – for the neophytes in the Indycar: more similar to those of formula 1 – but weaker in the ovals, he threw head and attacked only when he should. He became leading up to three occasions, with a special point in the penultimate stop of his strategy, when he settled in the upper part to fight for victory. Once it was seen in that fight, he played to save to spend just at the end with the entire full fuel tank and leave his rivals without options. That moment, in the absence of 14 to the end, was when he realized that he could already proclaim himself champion of the 500 miles.

An unorthodox path

On a frankly forgettable Sunday in the GP of Monaco, one of the three tips of that triple crown -the other is 24 hours of Le Mans -for the Spaniards, Palou rose as the legend that has already been presupposed for years. It well deserved that bathroom in milk, the Indy champagne with which, by tradition, the champions celebrate in the oval. His, whole, no half -naming or similar. His will be the face that sculpt in one of the most mythical trophies no longer of motoring, but of world sport, the Borg-Warner. The promising pilot who left the quarry of Campos Racing -like so many others -but who had to move to Japan because he had no place, who tried to call the staircase of Formula 1, but only let him touch her with his fingers before vomiting him, and tried, almost bouncing, in the United States, he just made history for Spanish sport. Álex Palou Montalbo, after being second in 2021, fourth in 2023 and fifth in 2024, was finally proclaimed winner of the 500 miles of Indianapolis in 2025.