IndyCar insider identifies top 3 drivers threatening Alex Palou's title three-peat

Alex Palou is regarded as one of the fiercest drivers to have graced the open-wheel racing world in the United States of America. He has won the championship for the past two years and is on the lookout to complete a three-peat of the title, but IndyCar insider Nathan Brown has identified three drivers that could hamper the Spaniard from completing the impressive feat.

Palou won three races in the first half of the season last year and held a comfortable lead in the championship standings. However, since the introduction of the hybrid engines at the race in Mid-Ohio, his form dipped severely.

The 27-year-old was only able to finish three races on the podium in the second half of the 2024 campaign but was able to clinch the championship with the early momentum he had built up. Subsequently, this title victory has stood Alex Palou on the edge of achieving a massive feat in the form of completing the three-peat of the title.

Observing this, on the Trackside podcast, Brown stated that Pato O'Ward, Colton Herta and Scott McLaughlin are the potential contenders. He said:

"If we have one of these cut-fringe title contenders that we have seen over the last couple of years, really make a true honest run down the stretch, whether it be Pato O'Ward... Whether it's Colton Herta... or someone like Scott McLaughlin." (1:13:40 onwards)

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has won three titles in the series so far and could add another championship trophy to his cabinet in 2025.

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Alex Palou shares his feelings ahead of the 2025 campaign

Alex Palou at the Rolex 24 at Daytona - Source: Getty

Alex Palou has amassed his three titles with just 12 victories and 32 podiums. This statistic underlines that his consistency has played a key role in his title bids, which have been essential in his racing career.

Reflecting on how his 2024 campaign went down and sharing his expectations for the upcoming season, Palou said (via Wish TV):

"You don’t want to change too much because it’s been a great couple of years for us. But at the same time, I feel like if we do the exact same things we’ve done, somebody else will catch up. So you need to keep on pushing yourself. You need to improve the car. You need to improve the driving skills in different aspects, whether it’s breaking or just accelerating or oval racing."

Moreover, Alex Palou can break a myriad of records in the 2025 season. Thus, 2025 could be a historic year as Josef Newgarden can also make history by winning this year's Indy 500.

This will make him the first person ever to complete a three-peat at the elusive event and etch his name in the record books.