Alex Palou is the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series Champion. He clinched that championship last year at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach season finale with a steady and controlled run from 10
th to 4
th. Coming into the 2022 season, Palou had already been on the podium in St. Pete (2
nd) and had a Top 10 (7
th) on the oval at Texas Motor Speedway. In this interview prior to the 2022 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Palou talks about how he works with his team to extract the most out of his car and himself. He also talks about the challenges of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and how he recovered from a crash in 2021 before the race to finish second. Enjoy!
NOTE: Palou finished 3rd at Long Beach and was running up front at the Indy 500 before he got caught out by an untimely yellow flag. He’s also earned three more podium finishes through Nashville on August 8
th. This last podium celebration was a bit unusual because about halfway through the 2022 season, controversy arose with conflicting news of him signing a contract extension with Ganassi and also a press release saying that he had signed with Arrow McLaren SP for 2023. As of right now, this case is scheduled to be heard in a US district court and (hopefully) should be brought to a resolution before the end of the season. If not, there’s a timeline of legal proceedings to take place September 14
th through October 31
st.
Interview and photos Copyright © by Larry Mason
Alex Palou is just about to get on the move riding his Ganassi Racing scooter at the 2022 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Will he ride off to another team in 2023?
Emerging from the shadow of contract signing controversy, the light will soon shine on where Alex Palou will be driving in 2023. Funny how this photo represents the situation!
Friday at Long Beach saw temperatures in the 90s. Notice the forced air hose bringing fresh air into the top of Palou’s helmet.
Palou pushes hard through Turn 10 during qualifying on the Firestone “Reds” alternate compound tires.
Palou is known for being smooth and fast in his driving style. Sometimes you just need to hammer the curbs to get your lap time. He’s doing just that here in Turn 5 on his way to a third place podium finish.
Interview and photos Copyright © by Larry Mason
