Alex Palou claims first St. Petersburg GP title to begin 2025
NTT IndyCar Series driver Alex Palou gets in his car before qualification for the Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. Spain's Alex Palou kicked off his pursuit of a fourth IndyCar championship with a victory at the 2025 season-opening Firestone Grand Prix on Sunday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
It was the 12th career IndyCar victory for the 27-year-old Palou, who is seeking his third consecutive title. He needed to get past Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon of New Zealand and then hold off Team Penske's Josef Newgarden to secure it.
Dixon finished second while Newgarden took third.
"What a great job by everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing," Palou said after getting out of his No. 10 Honda. "They gave me everything I needed this weekend to win.
"Our strategy changed a lot during that first yellow, but so glad that we got that No. 10 to Victory Lane. It's been 138 days since (clinching the 2024 title in) Nashville, and I've been dreaming about this every single night."
It was the first win for Palou at St. Petersburg.
"It's huge. It's huge. I'm super happy," he said. "I've been working really hard. It's been a place that we've struggled a lot at in the past. Especially me, personally.
"So to start with a win in 2025 is amazing."
--Field Level Media
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