By: Spencer Neff
May 25, 2025
After 15 career victories on road and street courses, Alex Palou earned his first oval victory at the biggest race. Palou led the final 14 of 200 laps and won the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday. It is his fifth victory in six races to begin 2025, the first driver since A.J. Foyt in the 1979 USAC season to win five of the season’s first six races.
He also joins Will Power and Simon Pagenaud (2018 and 2019) as drivers to win both races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May. Palou won the Sonsio Grand Prix on the IMS Road Course on May 10 and now wins on the 2.5-mile oval for the first time.
Before today’s race, his best oval finish was second (2021 Indianapolis 500 and 2024 Iowa Race 2).
Palou wins the seventh “500” for Car Owner Chip Ganassi and the first by Honda and CGR since 2022. Ganassi has won seven times with six drivers (including as Co-Owner for 1989 winner Emerson Fittipaldi),
Palou is also the first Spaniard to win the Indianapolis 500. He becomes the sixth driver to win from sixth on the starting grid and the first since Dan Wheldon in 2011 and also ties Wheldon for 31st with 16 career INDYCAR victories.
Finishing second for the second time in three years was Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson, the 2022 race winner.
A.J. Foyt Racing’s David Malukas earned a career-best “500” finish in third with his new team. He was also the best Chevrolet following the Honda-powered cars of Palou and Ericsson. Pato O’Ward would finish fourth, his fifth Top 10 in six starts at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist ended the day in fifth.
In sixth place, Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood earned his career best finish in his fourth “500” and improved a field-best 17 spots after starting 23rd.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster was best among the three rookies in 15th and the only first-year driver to finish all 200 laps.
Race Recap
Rain drops would delay the race by 36 minutes.
Before the start, multiple drivers ran into trouble. During the pace laps, Team Penske’sScott McLaughlin spun and made contact with the inside wall on the front straightaway. He was seen and released from the Medical Center but the 2024 pole winner was out before the race began.
Dixon would run into a minor brake fire but continued on.
After the four laps under caution to begin the race, the field would not make it through the first corner without another incident. After being forced high, Marco Andretti spun in Turn 1 and fell out of his 20th start at the “500”.
On the Lap 10 restart, Shwartzman was passed for the lead by O’Ward. Less than a lap later, Sato would take his turn at the front.
At Lap 21, the caution would fly again due to reports of rain. Following the Lap 31 restart, Ed Carpenter Racing took over the top three spots as Alexander Rossi and Christian Rasmussen swapped the lead multiple times as Owner/Driver Ed Carpenter would also lead.
After Dreyer and Reinbold Racing’s Jack Harvey made his pit stop[, Sato would begin to see a challenge from 2022 teammate Malukas.
On Lap 73, Rossi’s day ended in remarkable fashion. After pitting for a mechanical issue, the left-rear of his Dallara-Chevrolet would catch fire. Rossi climbed from his battered machine infuriated but uninjured. Team fueler Mike Miller would suffer singed hands and need medical attention.
Pit lane saw more issues as Dale Coyne Racing’s Rinus VeeKay crashed onto pit lane at Lap 81. During the ensuing pit stop, pole sitter Robert Shwartzman slid into his pit stall, hitting four crew members. The PREMA Racing rookie sustained front wing damage and was out of his first Indianapolis 500. He led 8 laps in his debut.
Another crash broke out during the Lap 92 restart. Kyle Larson of Arrow McLaren got loose win Turn 2 and collected Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson. Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Sting Ray Robb got the worst of it, making heavy contact with the inside tire barrier. Working The restart on Lap 108 would be waved off following Ed Carpenter’s spin in the north chute.
Working one of multiple pit strategies employed throughout the field, Devlin DeFrancesco led 17 laps before making his pit stop. IIt is the first time he’s led in the “500” in three starts.
During the round of pit stops, Josef Newgarden’s charge from 32nd to sixth would be derailed by fuel pressure issues. After fighting his way up the field in the wake of last week’s penalties, his bid for an unprecedented third consecutive Indianapolis 500 was over.
Another former winner emerged as Ryan Hunter-Reay looked to win 11 years to the day of his lone previous triumph. He led 48 laps, second only to Sato’s 51. The Dreyer and Reinbold Racing driver’s hopes were dashed after stalling on a late pit stop.
Pit strategy began to play into Ericsson’s hands and he would lead for 17 total laps. With 14 laps to go, Palou made what proved to be the winning pass in Turn 1. On the final lap, Arrow McLaren rookie Nolan Siegel crashed in Turn 2, ending the race under caution.
With seven cautions for 45 laps, the race averaged a speed of 168.883 mph and featured 22 lead changes among 14 drivers. Palou’s lead in the standings is now at 118 from O’Ward with six of 17 races in the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES complete.
Up Next
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES heads to the streets of Detroit next weekend for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.
Opening practice is scheduled at 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday, May 30 on FS2.
Practice 2 is set for 9:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 31 with qualifying at 12:00 p.m. On Sunday, the warmup is to be run at 9:30 a.m.. All those sessions will air live on FS1.
The 85-lap race will air live on Fox at 12:30 p.m. ET. Stay with IndyCar1909.com and our social media platforms for the latest on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR
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