Alex Palou, the three-time IndyCar world champion, is well-known for his super-fast pace, be it in qualifying or a Grand Prix. The 2025 Thermal Club qualifying is just a short while away and ahead of it, Palou put his #10 Chip Ganassi car in P2 in second practice.
His best lap in the practice session was good enough for second place on the timesheets, and it had the commentators on the edge of their seats. They were getting more and more excited as Palou was putting his car through the absolute wringer around the 3.067-mile track.
While expressing their feelings on the same, the commentators added the following:
"Alex Palou pressing into the last few corners before the timing line, a 1:40.5 but that was on the soft tire yesterday, today, just a 1:42 until now. He hits the line does he go quicker? Quite a bit. P2. Still a good chunk off Christian Lundgaard, half a second and an incredible run, look at the air under that car, oh my goodness."
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Alex Palou has fared well at Thermal Club in the past as well. Last year, he triumphed in the non-championship $1 Million Challenge at the track (20-laps race).
Alex Palou topped Friday's Practice 1 at Thermal
While Alex Palou has got the commentators singing his praises, he was on song yesterday as well. In Practice 1, he dominated his competition as he topped the timing sheets with a 1:40.5 (mentioned above as well).
In line with this, the 27-year-old had the following to add in the post-session interview:
"A really good start to the weekend for the No. 10 DHL Honda team. We didn’t get many laps because of some red flags, but the car rolled off really well considering it was very different to last year with different tires and the hybrid unit, and we didn’t test here this year. I’m really happy. There are some things to work on before we head to practice two tomorrow, but I’m looking forward to a nice weekend." Palou said via IndyCar.
Palou has come into the ongoing 2025 Thermal Club Grand Prix weekend on the back of a sensational win in the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. He is riding high on confidence and is one of the favorites to triumph in Sunday's 65-lap race as well.
However, in order for him to secure back-to-back victories, he would need a solid outing in the upcoming qualifying session. Arrow McLaren's Christian Lundgaard has looked quick in Practice 2 and considering this, he could prove to be a threat. Moreover, there are other heavy hitters as well who Palou would need to be wary of in qualifying.
