Álex Palou made history on Sunday by becoming the first Spanish driver to win the Indianapolis 500. The 28-year-old driver, a three-time IndyCar champion, had been pursuing this challenge for some time. A challenge that elevates him to the heights of motorsport and, if he wasn’t already there, places him among the great drivers who have tried their luck in the world of racing. At this moment, he ranks as the best driver in all of motorsport. With or without Max Verstappen’s permission.
Álex Palou, the hottest driver of the moment
In 2023, he took pole position on the starting grid and had been the favorite in the betting pools in other seasons, but the legendary race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which Spaniards Oriol Servià and Fernando Alonso had tried unsuccessfully to win before him, continued to elude him.
After starting sixth on the grid, Álex Palou showed his skill behind the wheel and seized his opportunity in a race that always chooses its winner. He knew how to wait for his moment and hold off the attacks of his pursuer, Marcus Ericsson, former F1 driver with Sauber and also winner of the legendary race. The Spaniard also controlled the attacks of David Malukas, Mexico’s Pato O’Ward, and Felix Rosenqvist.
This victory is much more than just a win. It means something more, showing himself to be the fittest driver of the moment and being in a position to consider himself the best driver in the world, in any category. And that includes, of course, Max Verstappen, as well as the rest of the great motor sportsmen.
At 28 years of age, Álex Palou becomes the first Spaniard to win the 500 Miles, completing the Triple Crown of Motorsport for our country. He thus joins Marc Gené, Fernando Alonso, and Miguel Molina, who had already won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2009, 2018, 2019, and 2024, respectively. In addition, the two-time F1 world champion also has two Monaco Grand Prix victories (2005, 2006) to his name. But Palou’s achievement is somewhat different from theirs.
Álex Palou’s historic victory in the Indy500 elevates him to the highest echelons of motorsport
Many drivers dream of racing in Formula 1, but very few achieve it. And those who fight for it but don’t succeed often give up on a category that, in most cases, does not reward all the hard work and dedication required to get on the grid.
But that wasn’t the case for the Chip Ganassi Racing driver, at least not at first. Because when the Barcelona native arrived in IndyCar after his stint in Japan, not many people were betting that he would soon be fighting for the title there, with them, despite the fact that he had come very close to winning Super Formula in 2019.
The reasons for thinking so made sense: the big names in the US category were well established, even though IndyCar is one of the most evenly matched championships on the international scene, and for Spain this had been rather uncharted territory, beyond Fermín Vélez, Oriol Serviá and Fernando Alonso’s foray into the Indianapolis 500.
That he is the dominant force in the current IndyCar era is obvious. Since his debut, he has won all but two of the championships in which he has competed. In fact, Alex Palou would also have won in 2023 had it not been for his legal dispute with McLaren. But 2025 is a step up from everything that has gone before. The Catalan seems to be playing a different sport to his competitors.
His superiority and dominance are overwhelming. The data speaks for itself. He has won five out of six races this season, his 16th victory in the championship, and one fact speaks volumes about his superiority over his rivals: at the previous race in Barber, the Gerona native reached his 1,000th lap leading a race, a milestone achieved in his 80th championship appearance.
To put this into perspective, he achieved this fourteen races ahead of Scott Dixon, who, with six titles to his name, is one of the greats in the history of the sport.
Álex Palou has therefore earned the right to have his face forever engraved on the Borg Warner trophy alongside the greats, always leading the way, knowing how to navigate the storm that was the first half of the race, and executing the most desired finish to perfection.
Three IndyCar titles, victory in the Indy 500… and a fourth on the way
However, we are talking about a driver who has broken every single record in the American championship. And in just five years, history has spoken for itself and the results could not have been more impressive. The Barcelona native has won three titles: in 2021, in his second year in the competition, in 2023 and in 2024. And in 2025, he is well on his way to achieving the same.
Álex Palou has competed in every championship possible. With Campos Racing, he raced in the Euroformula Open and Spanish Formula 3 in 2014, and came close to winning both championships. It was an intense year, as he also raced in the BRDC Formula 4, albeit with Formula 3 cars, and the legendary Macau Grand Prix.
The great advantage of a driver who loves racing is that he knows better how motorsport works. The Sant Antoni de Vilamajor native had always maintained that his goal was not to reach Formula 1, something impossible without good support, but to be a racing driver. And at this point in his career, it was time to prove it.
There is life beyond F1
Therefore, we can say that Álex Palou’s victory is not only a personal milestone, but one that resonates throughout the country. Motor racing in Spain has had some outstanding figures, but the Indy 500 had been an unsuccessful challenge for Spanish drivers until now.
This triumph inspires a new generation of young people who see ‘Super Palou’ as a role model, especially when it comes to the fact that Formula 1 is not everything. There is more to life than the paddock and the most prestigious and famous races in the world. But perhaps, sometimes, it is better to achieve success outside than to be lost in a world where you don’t always reap what you sow.