Alex Palou secured his fourth NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship in 2025, clinching the title with two races to spare Aug. 10 at Portland International Raceway.
Palou was formally honored Tuesday night, Sept. 17 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the annual Victory Lap ceremonies, where he celebrated his 2025 championship season with Chip Ganassi Racing.
He also clinched the championship early in 2023, again at Portland, which at the time was the penultimate race of the season. Prior to Palou, the last driver to wrap up the title before the season finale was Sébastien Bourdais in 2007.
The last driver before Palou to clinch the championship with two races remaining was Cristiano da Matta in 2002.
The fourth championship for Palou ties him for third-most in INDYCAR SERIES history alongside legends Mario Andretti, Sébastien Bourdais, and Dario Franchitti.
Only A.J. Foyt (seven) and Scott Dixon (six) rank ahead.
“I say all the time, we’re spoiled,” said Chip Ganassi (photo, above), owner of Chip Ganassi Racing.” “I’m spoiled with (Alex) Palou and (Scott Dixon and (Dario) Franchitti. It spoils me.”
Chip Ganassi Racing boasts 17 series championships, all since 1996. All six of Dixon’s championships came with the team. Franchitti, who’s now an advisor for CGR, won three of his four championships with the organization, in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He was the last driver before Palou to win three straight championships and the most recent to win both the Indianapolis 500 and INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season (2010) – until Palou matched both feats in 2025.
What’s remarkable: Palou is only 28 years old. All four championships have come in the last five seasons.
By comparison, Franchitti was 38 when he won his fourth title in 2011 and Dixon was 35 when he captured his fourth championship in 2015.
“The way I felt this year, the feeling was incredible,” Palou said. “Like every single weekend it was getting better and better. We’ve won so many races. We won the (Indianapolis) 500. The feeling you get after winning that race, an explosion of amazing feelings. People keep reminding you about that every single day when you wake up, which makes it feel even more special.
“To win my fourth INDYCAR championship, and to bring one more to Chip Ganassi Racing, to be able to clinch it early, that felt amazing.”
Palou’s 2025 season was a historic one: eight wins, tied for third-most in a single season.
Palou started inside the top six in 15 of 17 races this season, with an average grid position of 3.3. He earned six NTT P1 Awards. He had six in 81 starts before the 2025 season. Palou also started on the front row eight times. His worst start? Ninth in June at World Wide Technology Raceway.
“There’s a lot of skill, but it’s also about effort,” Franchitti said. “He’s got the work ethic, the brains and the fire. He’s never satisfied. He’s always asking, ‘What am I missing? How do I improve?’ He’s relentless in his pursuit of getting better.”