Chip Ganassi calls Alex Palou 'the most effective driver' after his historic Indy 500 win

[ad_1] INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There is a lengthy record of racing greats who've handed via Chip Ganassi Racing over its 35 years in existence — however not so prolonged that Ganassi cannot rattle them off the highest of his head.

Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi and Juan Pablo Montoya gave Ganassi 4 consecutive championships. Scott Dixon teamed with Dario Franchitti to restart one other four-year title streak. Marcus Ericsson gained Ganassi his fifth Indianapolis 500 victory in 2022, ending a 10-year shedding streak in “The Biggest Spectacle in Racing” for Ganassi.

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Now he has Alex Palou on his roster, and as he leaned to kiss the primary Spaniard to ever win the Indy 500, Ganassi had a message for him.

“You are the most effective driver,” the workforce proprietor mentioned. “Unbelievable, man. Unbelievable.”

It was the anticipated ending of a weird, crash-filled Indy 500 during which Palou gained for the fifth time in six races this season however within the one occasion Palou was adamant he wanted to win to ever have an entire racing resume. He is already the two-time defending IndyCar champion and has gained three titles within the final 4 years, all with Ganassi.

“I believe he’s one of many greats. It’s that easy," Ganassi mentioned. “Definitely we’ve had some nice drivers on our workforce, and he’s proper there, at worst, shoulder-to-shoulder with all the remainder of them.”

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What a begin

There have solely been two drivers to win 5 of the primary six races of a season within the trendy period — Al Unser Sr. and A.J. Foyt, with Foyt profitable the primary seven and that included the Indy 500.

Now Palou is on an analogous dominating tempo and with 11 races remaining within the IndyCar season, he takes a 115-point lead over Pato O'Ward within the championship standings to this weekend's race in Detroit.

Palou says the outcomes usually are not solely driver primarily based and acknowledged the work of his No. 10 Ganassi workforce.

“I believe I get plenty of credit score since you see that I’m the one one driving the automobile. However there’s an enormous workforce behind that's making me look superb on monitor,” Palou mentioned. "At any time when we’ve had the possibility to win, we’ve been capable of execute. And that’s making an allowance for not solely the setup, however the methods, the pit stops.

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“I’ve been telling you guys that I do know that this isn't regular,” he added. “However I’m glad that it didn’t finish (at Indy) and that we acquired the wave till the five hundred no less than.”

How did he win the five hundred?

Palou gained Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by shedding it to Helio Castroneves in 2021.

Palou completed second as Castroneves gained for a record-tying fourth time, and Palou begged Castroneves to inform him what he'd achieved mistaken. Castroneves wasn't desirous about sharing his secrets and techniques.

So Palou studied the movie, tried to grasp how Castroneves used the visitors to maintain Palou behind him, and steadily improved his craft on ovals. His Indy 500 win marked the primary victory for Palou on an oval.

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“Because of Helio, I used to be capable of learn the visitors good,” Palou mentioned. “I knew that due to how the methods had been shaking up on the finish that we had been going to have visitors. So visitors, despite the fact that you had been P2, you had been truly P5 or P4. So that you needed to take that into consideration. So I used to be simply making an attempt my finest to attempt to learn it and get on high of it.”

He was seeing two and three strikes forward, one thing he discovered from Castroneves' profitable transfer, and it gave Palou the center to make the ultimate move with 16 laps remaining. It was an extremely early transfer in a race that has been determined the final a number of years by a collection of late-lap passes.

“I believe I’m right here due to 2021 for positive,” mentioned Palou.

What comes subsequent?

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Palou remains to be being sued for almost $30 million by McLaren Racing in a breach of contract swimsuit after he modified his thoughts in late 2023 to go away Ganassi for McLaren forward of the 2024 season.

The 2 groups had been engaged in a tug-of-war over Palou since he had signed contracts with each groups and McLaren desires each greenback again it spent on growing him as its Method 1 driver and damages accrued when Palou didn't be a part of the IndyCar workforce.

However he lives his life as if this lawsuit is not hanging over his head — and even bothers him only a bit.

It is tough, although, as a result of Palou is so sizzling proper now many are starting to brazenly ask why he is not in F1. There's theoretically no less than one seat open subsequent yr with the brand new Cadillac F1 workforce owned by Dan Towriss, who additionally owns the Andretti World IndyCar workforce and watched Palou beat his driver Ericsson to win the Indy 500.

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Palou does not imagine a spot stays open to him in F1 after the McLaren mess, however extra essential, is content material the place he's with Ganassi.

“I'd perceive (if groups don't need me), however I'm tremendous blissful the place I'm,” Palou mentioned. “I imply you possibly can see that. I've not had any conversations with anyone and I'm not knocking on doorways. I promise 100% I've had no dialog and nobody with my (administration) workforce has had any conversations with anyone.”

The Spanish impact

Palou is not sure if his Indy 500 win will acquire him any consideration in Spain, the place he turned the primary Spaniard to win the race. The nation celebrates soccer and F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz Jr., whereas Palou, from Barcelona, stays below the radar.

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He mentioned he observed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway extra Spanish followers and flags than he is seen at some other IndyCar race in his six seasons racing in the US.

“I don’t know what it’s going to be for Spain. Hopefully they're celebrating as a lot as I'm,” he mentioned. “Hopefully that will get extra followers, extra folks. There was plenty of Spanish flags right here, which I did by no means see earlier than.”

His focus is as a substitute on constructing his fanbase in the US and in Indiana, the place he resides through the season and has embraced the neighborhood. Palou wore a Tyrese Haliburton jersey within the Indy 500 parade, and had it on once more Sunday evening when he confirmed up within the second quarter of Recreation 3 of the Japanese Convention finals between the Pacers and the New York Knicks.

“That’s going to assist some folks in Indiana to know me,” he mentioned of the standing ovation he obtained on the sport.

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