“I thought I was going to have a chance”: Alex Palou makes feelings clear after missing a third straight IndyCar win

Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood won the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, denting Alex Palou's unblemished 2025 streak. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver posted an honest confession after the race, admitting that he had a chance to make it three wins in a row.

In the showdown on the streets of California, Kirkwood's #27 Honda-powered Dallara dominated the Grand Prix of Long Beach. He started from the pole and raced towards his first victory of the season at the same track where he won his first IndyCar race in 2017.

However, despite losing the winning streak and finishing in second, Palou was satisfied with the race and the extension of his lead in the points. He said:

“You never feel amazing when you finish second, but the 27 car (Kirkwood), they were fast all weekend. I had a bad start and that put us on the back foot but it’s amazing to be here. For me, to get the podium, that’s great.”

The Spaniard admitted that Kirkwood's machine and management were superior in the race, adding that he thought he had an opportunity to take the lead.

"We didn’t really have that ultimate speed the 27 car did," Palou said. "He was managing (fuel, tires, push-to-pass) and every time I was having a small chance he had just a little more pace. I’m super happy to be here. It was a great day. The last pit stop they had a slow one, it was close, I thought I was going to have a chance, but my tires weren’t 100 percent," Palou added.

After the third round of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series Championship, Alex Palou still leads with 142 points, and Kyle Kirkwood is in second with a total of 108 points.

Scott McLaughlin shares thoughts on Alex Palou's IndyCar dominance

Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

Alex Palou has been the lead driver in the 2025 championship season. Before the season began, Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin, one of the favorites to threaten reigning champion Alex Palou's title campaign in 2025, shared his feelings ahead of the third round.

McLaughlin geared up to stamp his dominance from the first round of the season, bagging the pole position at St. Petersburg. However, the race day was not as fruitful for the 31-year-old Kiwi as he finished P4. To add to the misfortunes, he DNF'd in the subsequent round.

Speaking of Palou's unbeaten run in the first two rounds, the Team Penske driver said:

"Oh mate, full credit. He's doing an amazing job right now," he told reporter Bob Pockrass. "It's a long season, but at the end of the day, if he keeps winning, like that's all we can do. For me, how he executes doesn't affect how I execute. I've just got to go out there and just be as fast as I can. If that's enough, that's enough. If not, work harder."

After three rounds of the NTT IndyCar Series Championship, Alex Palou leads the championship, and Scott McLaughlin sits in 8th position with 69 points.