Álex Palou Makes History: Wins Fifth IndyCar Title to Join All-Time Greats

A Historic Fifth Championship in Milwaukee

Driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, Palou navigated a difficult outing at the Milwaukee Mile to capture the season crown with one race remaining on the schedule. Though he described the race itself as a struggle, his tenth-place finish was enough to lock up the title ahead of the season finale at Laguna Seca in California. «No sé qué decir, debo todo a este equipo», Palou said following the race, according to official reports. «Es increíble, estoy muy orgulloso de este equipo, hoy no fue una buena carrera para nosotros, sufrimos pero yo solo pensaba en estar concentrado al frente y es fabuloso tener otro campeonato».

With this fifth title, the 29-year-old Catalan driver moves past several legendary names in the IndyCar history books. Palou now sits ahead of Mario Andretti, Sébastien Bourdais, and Dario Franchitti in career championships. Bourdais previously stood as the only driver to secure four consecutive titles, accomplishing the feat between 2004 and 2007.

From Sant Antoni de Vilamajor to IndyCar Dominance

Born on April 1, 1997, in Sant Antoni de Vilamajor—a village of roughly 6,000 residents located 50 kilometers outside Barcelona—Palou discovered motorsport without any family background in racing. He began driving karts at just five years old, quickly progressing through junior competition before moving into single-seaters in 2013 with the Euroformula Open F3. After competing in Japan’s Open Wheeler series and Super Fórmula, where he finished third in 2019 and earned rookie of the year honors, Palou transitioned to IndyCar in 2020.

His ascent in the United States proved rapid. Palou became the first Spanish driver to win an IndyCar championship in 2021, adding subsequent titles in 2023, 2024, and now 2025. His 2025 campaign also featured a victory in the Indianapolis 500, a milestone that notably eluded two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso during his three attempts at the Brickyard between 2017 and 2020. Following their time together at Indianapolis, Alonso predicted that Palou would dominate the American series.

Navigating Beyond Formula 1

Palou’s sustained success in the United States offers a definitive answer to a career path forged away from the Formula 1 paddock. Aside from a brief and contentious stint as a test driver for McLaren between 2022 and 2023 that yielded few opportunities in F1, Palou built his reputation entirely within American open-wheel racing and sportscars. Last year, his standing in endurance racing also grew when he took the wheel for Cadillac at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Having secured six victories across 17 races this season, Palou will head to Laguna Seca next week to close out the campaign as a five-time champion, firmly establishing a legacy that he once modeled after his childhood idol, Michael Schumacher.