Alex Palou won the IndyCar Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix from the pole, leading for 74 of 100 laps and fending off challenges from Will Power, Felix Rosenqvist, Scott Dixon, and Alexander Rossi. Palou lost the lead to Power on Lap 56 but quickly regained it after losing momentum due to an issue with his car’s electronic systems. This is Palou’s second victory this season and sixth To wind everything up in the NTT IndyCar Series, extending his lead to 51 points in the championship standings. Despite being critical of the track’s conditions, Palou praised the race and the fans in Detroit.
The IndyCar Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix was held on a new downtown track, and it was a chaotic debut for the drivers. Alex Palou, who captured the pole, managed to fend off several challenges and three late restarts to win the race. He won by 1.1843 seconds in his No. 10 Dallara-Honda over Will Power, followed by Felix Rosenqvist, Scott Dixon, and Alexander Rossi.
This was Palou’s second victory this season and sixth To wind everything up in the NTT IndyCar Series. He also extended his lead to 51 points in the championship standings. When asked about his championship chances, Palou said, “It’s too early. We’ve been focused on the next few races. There are a few I really love coming. We’ll keep pushing.”
Palou led a race-high 74 of 100 laps and overcame losing the lead to Power on Lap 56 restart. He lost momentum after putting his car in “emergency mode” to cycle its electronic systems. This happened after he got stuck in first gear while warming up his rear tires. “I was already heading to Turn 2, I switched to emergency mode because that’s the only way to take all the issues out,” Palou said. “It went well, but you lose a lot of performance up-shifting. That’s why Will got us, until the exit of Turn 3, I got it back to normal, then it was all right. That was really a panic mode because I didn’t really know what to do. I didn’t know if it was going to work or not because if you get stuck in one gear, you’re done. That was a pretty busy moment.”
However, Palou needed only nine laps to snatch the lead back from Power. “I did everything I could,” Power said after his best finish since a runner-up at Portland last September. “He was just too quick, man. Too good today.”
Palou had been critical of the new track, which he said was too bumpy, too tight, and too short after qualifying first on Saturday. However, he surprised himself with his performance during the race. “He just took to this place when we got here,” team owner Chip Ganassi told NBC Sports’ Marty Snider about Palou. “He was complaining about the track yesterday, but I think it’s his new favorite track today.”
“It was a really fun race. It was a lot better than I expected. We had a lot more grip today than what we did (Friday and Saturday), and I think the track evolved a lot during the weekend,” said Palou. “Obviously, I had a clean race, but honestly Detroit did a tremendous job. The fans were amazing. I was mind-blown of how many fans we had today being a first-time event. Also the podium on victory…”
The Detroit Grand Prix was a success despite the challenges of a new track. Palou’s victory was hard-fought, but he managed to come out on top and extend his lead in the championship standings. The fans were also treated to an exciting race and a new favorite track for Palou.
