Álex Palou on the Indianapolis road course
/ Indycar
The Indycar series is approaching its biggest month, headlined by the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24. Before that, the American open-wheel championship will run its sixth round of the season on the infield road course of the legendary oval. Fresh off victories in the previous two races (Alabama and Long Beach), Álex Palou arrives as the championship leader at one of his most successful tracks.
The Indianapolis Grand Prix has been dominated by certain drivers in recent years. The 3.92-kilometer, 14-turn road course incorporates parts of turns 1 and 2 along with the main straight of the famous oval. This Saturday, drivers will complete 85 laps (333.65 kilometers) on a layout that has been a regular fixture on the Indycar calendar since 2014. Will Power holds the record with five wins (2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021), but in recent seasons, Álex Palou has made the IndyGP his own, triumphing in the last three editions (2023, 2024, and 2025). Other past winners to watch include Palou’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon (2020, 2023), Josef Newgarden (2020), Rinus Veekay (2021), and Alexander Rossi (2022).
Álex Palou celebrating his victory at the Indianapolis road course in 2025
/ Indycar
The series arrives at a circuit that has become Palou’s territory, with the Spaniard leading the championship standings with 205 points. Kyle Kirkwood is second with 188, followed by David Malukas with 142. Close behind are Pato O’Ward (136 points), Christian Lundgaard (131), Josef Newgarden (130), and Scott McLaughlin (127).
Indycar also enters its biggest month with a key technical change. After issues with the Push to Pass system during the previous race in Long Beach—where 12 drivers, including Palou, activated the button during a restart, which is prohibited—the series has revised and updated the regulations. Under the new rule, drivers can press the Push to Pass button for as long as they wish “once they pass the alternate start-finish line and once the green flag has been displayed,” according to an Indycar statement. The rule prohibiting overtaking before the restart line remains in effect, and timing parameters (15 or 20 seconds per activation, depending on the circuit) are unchanged. This new regulation applies only to road and street courses, and it will be in effect this weekend at the IndyGP. The change is designed to “provide teams and drivers with additional tools and overtaking possibilities during crucial restart moments” and “enhance strategy and the potential for even smoother action among the cars.”
The Indianapolis road course hosts the sixth round of the Indycar season before the main event, the Indianapolis 500, on May 24. Action on the track has been compressed from three days to two this year, allowing teams extra preparation time for Indy500 practice, which begins on Tuesday, May 12.
