Palou claims second IndyCar title to break 17 year streak

Alex Palou’s fifth victory of the IndyCar season in Portland was enough to secure him a second series title at the age of 26.

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver required a points buffer of 54 over nearest challenger Scott Dixon heading into the Laguna Seca finale, holding a 74 point lead heading to the Oregon penultimate round.

Palou was able to move forward from fifth on the grid on a three-stop strategy to defeat McLaren’s Felix Rosenqvist by 5.6s, with teammate Dixon a further 2.6s back in third.

It is the first time in 17 years that the title race has not gone down to the season-finale in a mark of Palou’s dominance over the field.

Palou also won the title in 2021 and becomes a multiple series champion when his long-term future is in doubt.

He had agreed to drive for McLaren’s IndyCar squad from 2024, having also tested F1 machinery for the team but recently backed out of the move - much to the dismay of CEO Zak Brown.