Alex Palou got here into Sunday’s IndyCar race as one of many favorites to win, as he’s most each weekend, however the consequence turned out very in a different way.
After ranging from pole, the reigning champion instantly was beneath assault from Kyle Kirkwood behind, and needed to slot into second after the primary lap.
Palou then had drawback after drawback that stored knocking him backwards.
First, he hit a competitor’s tire on pit lane and was given a drive by way of penalty, then afterward his crew had hassle affixing the left entrance wheel to his automobile in the course of the second pit cease cycle.
It was an uncharacteristic efficiency, and he was downbeat after ending in twentieth place, three laps down.
“Yeah, lots. We may have completed lots in a different way,” Palou mentioned on the FOX broadcast. “It hurts, man. It hurts.
“It was a kind of races that I needed to do actually good. I needed to get that win, so it hurts lots that we had this dangerous of a day. It’s okay. Issues occur.
“I’m at the very least type of comfortable that all the things occurred on the identical day as an alternative of spreading out all through totally different races.
“We had some points on pit lane, one my fault and one out of my management. One the observe, then I bumped a bit bit the wall then 20 laps after the rear toe hyperlink broke. That’s why we spun. Not a superb day, nevertheless it’s alright.”
Kirkwood got here into the occasion as the closest challenger within the factors standings, and he went on to win the race and earn 53 factors.
The disparity in efficiency lower Palou’s result in 91 factors, however with solely three races remaining in 2026 it nonetheless appears probably the Spaniard will clinch his fifth title within the coming weeks.
