Indy 500: Alex Palou takes first oval win at the biggest race of the year

Alex Palou, the most dominant man of the IndyCar Series in 2025, has taken his first oval win at the biggest race of the year: The Indianapolis 500.

The Spaniard cements his legacy as the greatest driver of recent American open-wheel history.

2025 Indy 500: Alex Palou dominates to a win at Indianapolis

The command for the 2025 Indy 500 was delayed for rain, which had swept in to dust the track with moisture during the pre-race ceremonies. Less than half an hour later, Roger Penske delivered the command for the drivers to start their engines.

Chaos started before the green even waved, with the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet of Scott McLaughlin lost control of his car on the front stretch warming up his tires. He hit the inside wall and ripped the front wing off, his race coming to an end before it ever began.

The No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda of Scott Dixon, too, suffered a fire in the left rear brakes during those laps. He was able to cool the brakes and put out the flames as the laps ticked by.

Rookie Robert Shwartzman launched into the lead from pole position — while at the back of the field, Marco Andretti and Jack Harvey collided after Ryan Hunter-Reay moved up into Harvey, which sent the No. 98 spinning. Marcus Armstrong then collided with Andretti.

As the No. 98 was moved off the track, multiple cars took advantage of the opportunity to make their first pit stop.

The race returned to green heading into Lap 10 of 200, with Shwartzman once again heading up the field, only for Pato O’Ward to slingshot into the lead and Takuma Sato to follow into second and, a lap later, to take the lead.

Another yellow flew on Lap 19 as a result of rain. A major round of pit stops kicked off on Lap 25, with multiple drivers almost colliding at the end of pit road.

Most notably, NASCAR driver Kyle Larson’s No. 17 Arrow McLaren stalled on pit road. He returned to the track in 31st, last of the drivers still running.

The field returned green on Lap 31, with all three Ed Carpenter Racing drivers leading the field and the the mid-pack running five wide trying to snatch position. Graham Rahal began dropping down the field, forcing much of the field to avoid him.

On lap 74, Alexander Rossi, driving the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, pulled into the pits with problems. His crew attempted to refuel the car, but it instead burst into flames. Rossi climbed from the car, irate; his fuelman looked to have caught fire trying to extinguish the flames.

Not long after, Rinus Veekay brought out a yellow flag; he had no brakes as he raced into pit lane and collided with the pit wall. Veekay, too, retired.

The pit stops that followed were a mess; Sato skidded into his pit box and lost the lead. Polesitter Shwartzman also came into his box too hot, locking up and knocking down several of his crew members. He retired.

Leading back to green into Lap 92 was Ryan Hunter-Reay, but the caution came out almost immediately after. Kyle Larson wobbled and lost control, crashing into the wall. Both Kyffin Simpson and Sting Ray Robb were also wiped out in the crash.

The race continued under caution at the halfway point; by that time, Josef Newgarden had managed to carve his way up into the top 10 after being penalized and starting on the very back row of the grid.

The race went green again coming into lap 107, with Canadian Devlin DeFrancesco leading the field. Before the green even waved, the No. 21 of Christian Rasmussen spun. Though he did manage to save and straighten out his car, race control threw the yellow flag.

It was back to green on Lap 110; DeFrancesco held the lead as Conor Daly launched up the standings by coming to the front of a four-wide pack. Ten laps later, DeFrancesco pitted and handed the lead to Daly.

Despite Newgarden’s strong race, he faced a fuel pressure issue with 65 laps to go. That meant he needed to return to the pits just after stopping, demolishing his chances at a historic third victory.

Meanwhile, Alex Palou snatched the net lead of the race, but David Malukas and Conor Daly weren’t ready to let him drive away so easily. Daly rounded back into the lead, with Palou minding his fuel number. However, because he was on an alternate strategy, Ryan Hunter-Reay maintained the lead.

Suffering tire trouble, Daly was passed by David Malukas, Alex Palou, Santino Ferrucci, Marcus Ericsson, Pato O’Ward, and Christian Rasmussen. He was forced to dip into the pit lane with 34 laps remaining, which put him out of the fuel window to finish the race.

With 32 laps left on the board, Palou and Ferrucci both dipped into the pits for their final service of the day. Hunter-Reay also pitted from the lead, leaving the front of the field to Malukas, and proceeded to stall his car.

Malukas pitted, then returned to the field in front of Palou for what looked set to be one of the defining battles of the race. Pato O’Ward entered the conversation with 26 laps remaining, tucking in behind Palou.

Palou launched out around Malukas, while Marcus Ericsson pitted and filtered back out onto the track in the lead. The Andretti Global driver had dipped into the pits under yellow 70 laps prior for a fuel top-up, thus allowing him to contend for victory at the close of the race.

With 14 laps to go, Palou rounded Ericsson, taking the Andretti driver by surprise.

Palou held onto that lead until the very final lap, with a caution neutralizing the race in the last corner. Alex Palou won the 2025 Indianapolis 500.

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Indy 500 classification: Drivers with F1 connections

• 1st: Alex Palou (Signed with McLaren hoping for F1; lawsuits meant he stuck with CGR)
• 2nd: Marcus Ericsson (2014-2018 Caterham and Sauber F1 driver)
• 7th: Santino Ferrucci (2016-2018 Haas F1t test and development driver)
• 9th: Christian Lundgaard (2021 Alpine simulator driver)
• 11th: Takuma Sato (2002-2008 Jordan, BAR, Super Aguri driver)
• 12th: Callum Ilott (2019-2021 Ferrari test driver, 2020-2022 Alfa Romeo test and reserve driver)
• 17th: Colton Herta (Contender for Cadillac F1 seat in 2026)
• 29th: Robert Shwartzman (2023-2024 Ferrari reserve driver, 2024 Sauber test driver)
• 31st: Alexander Rossi (Manor F1 driver, 2015)

Indy 500 full classification:

• 1. Alex Palou (No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing – Honda)
• 2. Marcus Ericsson (No. 28 Andretti Global – Honda)
• 3. David Malukas (No. 4 A. J. Foyt Racing – Chevrolet)
• 4. Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren – Chevrolet)
• 5. Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing – Honda)
• 6. Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 Andretti Global – Honda
• 7. Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 A. J. Foyt Racing – Chevrolet)
• 8. Christian Rasmussen (No. 21 ECR – Chevrolet)
• 9. Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren – Chevrolet)
• 10. Conor Daly (No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing – Chevrolet)
• 11. Takuma Sato (No. 75 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing – Honda)
• 12. Callum Ilott (No. 90 Prema Racing – Chevrolet)
• 13. Helio Castroneves (No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing – Honda)
• 14. Devlin DeFrancesco (No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing – Honda)
• 15. Louis Foster (No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing – Honda)
• 16. Nolan Siegel (No. 6 Arrow McLaren – Chevrolet)
• 17. Colton Herta (No. 26 Andretti Global – Honda)
• 18. Ed Carpenter (No. 33 ECR – Chevrolet)
• 19. Will Power (No. 12 Team Penske – Chevrolet)
• 20. Graham Rahal (No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing – Honda)
• 21. Marcus Armstrong (No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing – Honda)
• 22. Jack Harvey (No. 24 DRR-Cusick Motorsports – Chevrolet)
• 23. Scott Dixon (No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing – Honda)
• 24. Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 23 DRR-Cusick Motorsports – Chevrolet)
• 25. Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske – Chevrolet)
• 26. Sting Ray Robb (No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing – Chevrolet ) – DNF
• 27. Kyle Larson (No. 17 Arrow McLaren – Chevrolet) – DNF
• 28. Kyffin Simpson (No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing – Honda) – DNF
• 29. Robert Shwartzman (No. 83 Prema Racing – Chevrolet) – DNF
• 30. Rinus Veekay (No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing – Honda) – DNF
• 31. Alexander Rossi (No. 20 ECR – Chevrolet) – DNF
• 32. Marco Andretti (No. 98 Andretti Global – Honda) – DNF
• 33. Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Team Penske – Chevrolet) – DNS