Palou starts strong
Chip Ganassi’s Alex Palou began his push for a third straight IndyCar title by taking out Florida’s St Petersburg Grand Prix, as any anticipated pre-race street-flag chaos was kept to the bare minimum.
Palou led home his teammate Scott Dixon who went analogue for the season opener, as the “Ice-Man” competed 90 of the 100 laps without team radio, a factor that would prove his undoing as the six-time champion hunted his first win on the streets of Florida.
With the only safety flag coming on the first lap, any driver starting on the harder Primary tyre proved immediately up against it, and that included Penske’s Kiwi pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin who couldn’t shed the softer Alternate option early.
Although “Scotty Mac” would lead for 40 laps, it was the soft rubber starters – including the eventual podium of Palou, Dixon, and Penske’s Josef Newgarden – that would ultimately have the luxury of one less pitstop.
McLaughlin would eventually come home in fourth however, shaping up the neat looking Ganassi 1-2 and Penske 3-4.
“We knew that was the risk of running the blacks (alternates),” the Kiwi stated.
“I think if it was a no-yellow first lap, we’re gone. It is what it is…a pole and a fourth, I can’t be unhappy with that.”
As for the dominant Spaniard – who has won three of the last four Astor Cup titles – Palou is now looking to become just the third driver since Ted Horn (1946-48) and Dario Franchitti (2009-11) to claim a hat-trick of championships.
After taking the permanent lead by +4.502 seconds on lap 75 after undercutting Dixon a revolution earlier, a strong challenge from Newgarden was then thwarted in the final stretch.
The back-to-back Indy 500 winner cut the gap to under a second by the 95th, as Palou hit the dirty air of Sting Ray Robb before eventually making a pass to take it home by +2.866, with Dixon then making a pass of his own on the final lap for second.
“Our strategy changed a lot during that first yellow, but I’m so glad we got the #10 in Victory Lane,” Palou said.
“It’s been 138 days since Nashville (2024 season finale), and I’ve been dreaming about this every single night.”
As for the blind-flying Dixon, the 44-year old was watching his own fuel gauge and using every ounce of his 25 years of experience, but with his team unable to communicate, he left himself out a lap too late as he hit the traffic he simply couldn’t predict.
“We were just kind of flying blind out there,” Dixon lamented.
“Ultimately, I think they were trying to call me in because on that last lap we had before we pitted, there was just so much traffic, and we lost two or three seconds. That’s where the #10 car got us.”
As for Aussie Will Power, the veteran’s 44th birthday celebrations didn’t bring him any luck as he entered his 21st season in North America. The record winning pole-getter had one of his worst-ever Qualifying sessions on the Florida streets, before finding the rear of a checked-up Nolan Siegel on the opening lap, which also saw rookie Louis Foster taken out, as Power opened his year a lowly 26th.
“Just hate to start the season this way,” Power regretted.
“We’ve been strong starters the last few years with the #12 Verizon Chevrolet. Looking forward to Thermal and the points race there.”
Any redemption will have to wait until March 23, with Round 2 coming at the newly (points paying) promoted Thermal Club Grand Prix in California’s desert – a unique luxury motorsport club that last season hosted the (no-points) million dollar race.
On that occasion, it was Palou that claimed the meal ticket.
Image: Getty
READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF AUTO ACTION HERE
Don’t forget the print edition of Auto Action available via subscription here. For more of the latest motorsport news, subscribe to AUTO ACTION magazine.
