“It worked for us”: Alex Palou looks back on major gamble before St. Petersburg IndyCar win

Reigning champion Alex Palou recently deliberated upon his strategy that paid off in the Grand Prix of St Petersburg. Palou emerged victorious in the first race of the campaign.

Chip Ganassi Racing's Palou was off to a picture-perfect start as he begun his fourth title defence. The 27-year-old driver, having won the IndyCar Championship in 2021, 2023 and 2024, led a strategic masterclass to beat his teammate Scott Dixon by 2.8669 seconds.

Palou spoke to FOX Sports' Will Buxton after the race, revealing how a crucial tire strategy gamble paid off for the No. 10 team. He said:

"I mean, we knew that the alternates and the primaries had a huge difference. We knew that the speed for alternates were like good for two laps, maybe three, but then they were tanking man. So, we wanted to get those out of the way as soon as possible.

With IndyCar's tire rules mandating that each driver use both primary and alternate tires for at least two laps, teams had to be strategic in choosing when to make the switch. Those who started on primary tires had to complete a short stint on alternates later, while those who pitted early had the advantage of running extended stints on the more durable primary tires.

Palou added:

"We were still trying to pit on like lap 5-lap 6. So, that was the plan. Having that yellow kind of made everybody be on the same page and not have any drop off from any other car. But it worked for us. The strategy worked for us."

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Alex Palou admits past struggles at St Pete after win

Despite being one of IndyCar’s most dominant drivers in recent seasons, Alex Palou admitted that St. Petersburg had been a challenging track for him in the past. Following his season-opening victory, the 27-year-old Spaniard reflected on how much the win meant to him. He told FOX Sports:

"What an amazing job by everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing, HRC, everybody (working on) the 10 car. They gave me everything I needed this weekend to win. I told you yesterday that we had a really fast car. I was looking forward to the race."

Recognizing his struggles at St. Petersburg in previous years, Palou expressed his excitement. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver said:

"It’s huge. I’m super happy. We’ve been working really, really hard. It’s been a place where we’ve struggled a lot in the past, especially me personally. So to start with a win in 2025 is amazing."

With his first victory of the 2025 IndyCar season secured, Alex Palou now sets his sights on the next race, The Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix. The race is scheduled for March 23 in Thermal, California.