"Winning Thermal won't get me in motorsport history books": Alex Palou gets 100% real about unfulfilled Indy 500 dream

Alex Palou has emphatically conquered IndyCar with three championships in the last four seasons. However, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver has yet to win a race on an oval, with no Indy 500 wins in five attempts. His most recent win came at the inaugural Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix on March 23, where he took a 10-second lead after passing Pato O'Ward with 10 laps left.

In a post-race interview for the Pit Pass Indy podcast released on Wednesday, host Bruce Martin questioned Palou about how "huge" a goal would it be to win the 109th Indy 500 this year. The No. 10 Honda driver included his recent win at Thermal in his reply to contrast what winning the Greatest Spectacle of Racing does for a racing driver.

"Absolutely (it's a huge goal), you cannot imagine, Bruce. It's our biggest race. It's our only race that makes you be part of the history books once you win that one. Winning Thermal today was super important, but I'm not gonna be part of the history books of motorsport for winning this race. I wanna win in the (Indy) 500 so bad. It's our most special race. The atmosphere, the event itself, (and) how hard it is to win. Hopefully, we can make it happen," Alex Palou said. [26:29 onwards]

Palou's best finish at the Indy 500 came in the 105th running in 2021 when he finished runner-up to Helio Castroneves, who secured his record-equaling fourth win at the premier IndyCar event.

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Alex Palou applauds Chip Ganassi Racing's 'perfect' race execution for second consecutive win in 2025

MAR 02 INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

Alex Palou came into the 2025 season with his sights set on a third consecutive IndyCar title. Only three drivers in series history have achieved the feat. The Spaniard began the season on the best note by winning the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg from P8 on the starting grid.

In the second race at the Thermal Club, he started further up in P3, and Chip Ganassi Racing executed a flawless race strategy on the challenging low-grip track to get him across the line with a second consecutive win.

"What an amazing weekend," Palou said via IndyCar after the race. "We had a really fast car since practice, and everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing on the 10 car executed perfectly. We knew it was aggressive to start with the used reds (alternate tires), and we knew that we were looking toward the end of the race with that 10 car and we did it."

Alex Palou showed why he is the defending champion by outclassing the Arrow McLarens of Pato O'Ward and Christian Lundgaard on a day when they were looking quick enough to run away with a 1-2 finish.

After two races, he stands first in the championship standings with 102 points and miles away from second-placed Pato O'Ward, with 63 points.