Alex Palou Wins the IndyCar Grand Prix in Detroit

Alex Palou; driver of the number 10 Chip Ganassi car and championship leader, won the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on Sunday May 31 from pole position. 

(Image credit to @alexpalou on Instagram)

Despite starting on pole and leading the race for 71 out of the 100 laps, this race was far from a simple one for the championship leader. In the opening stint Palou lost the lead to Will Power driving for Andretti Global. 

The number 10 driver continued to struggle through the first stint, until his team attempted the undercut strategy by completing their final pitstop on Lap 63 of the race switching from alternate to primary tires. Palou had been locked in a battle for the lead with several drivers including Will Power, Kyle Kirkwood, and Christian Lundgaard. The rest of the drivers elected to continue on the track for two additional laps to stay ahead of Palou. 

It almost seemed that the decision to pit early was the wrong decision; however, on Lap 66 Santino Ferucci went into the back of Rinus Veekay causing Veekay’s car to spin into Turn 5 bringing out a full course caution. Andretti Global was forced to pit Kirkwood under the yellow which gave Palou the lead on Lap 69. 

On the restart Palou managed to pull a gap to Alexander Rossi in second place until a battle between Mick Schumacher and David Malukas for third place resulted in another full course caution when both drivers hit the barriers. On this full course caution Kirkwood had managed to work his way through the field and was moving in third place after Schumacher and Malukas retired from the race due to damage. 

Lap 79 saw Kirkwood within two car lengths of Alex Palou but before he was able to make the move for the lead, another caution was thrown after Santino Ferucci’s car slowed on track. After using up the majority of his overtaking power before the caution, on the restart Kirkwood didn’t have enough to try to get past Palou a second time. As a result of this Palou stayed in the lead even after another caution was thrown after Rossi clipped the back of Romain Grosjean’s car. With only seven laps to go on the Lap 93 restart Palou managed to hang onto his lead all the way to the end of the hundredth lap bringing him to a 62-point lead over Kirkwood in the championship. 

Kyle Kirkwood came in second place and Graham Rahal rounded off the podium places in third. Overall another strategy masterclass from Chip Ganassi racing and a wonderful drive from Alex Palou.

Article written by Israa Ihab