Alex Palou of Spain began his pursuit of the fourth IndyCar championship with a win in the 2025 season-opening Firestone Grand Prix which was held on Sunday at St. Petersburg, Florida.
This marked Palou’s 12th career IndyCar win as the 27-year-old is going for a third consecutive championship title. To dig this out, he had to pass his teammate at Chip Ganassi Racing, New Zealander Scott Dixon, and withstand a strong challenge from Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden.
Dixon ended up finishing second, while Newgarden had to settle for third. After the triumph with the No. 10 Honda, Palou expressed what he felt through his words, “What a fantastic effort by everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing. They provided me with everything I needed this weekend to achieve this win.”
He looked back at the strategy of the race, saying, “Our approach shifted significantly during that first yellow flag, but I’m thrilled we managed to bring the No. 10 to Victory Lane. It’s been 138 days since I clinched the 2024 title in Nashville, and I’ve been dreaming about this moment every single night..”
This win also marked Palou’s first ever at the St. Petersburg circuit. He expressed his happiness and excitement saying, “It’s monumental. It’s monumental. I’m incredibly happy. I’ve been putting in a lot of effort. This track has been a challenging one for us in the past, particularly for me.”
He summed up, “So to kick off 2025 with a victory is simply amazing.” A turning point in the race occurred when Palou, a three-time series champion, made a pit stop a lap earlier than Scott Dixon, a six-time champion. That strategy gave Palou five seconds in hand. Although Newgarden lunged towards Palou in the closing laps, he gave ground as his fuel began to diminish, allowing Dixon to get by.