There are a handful of drivers still holding a realistic shot at the 2024 IndyCar championship with just three races to go.
The Grand Prix of Portland was the perfect illustration of where the fight for the crown is headed, as Will Power claimed victory ahead of Alex Palou.
It’s fairly unrealistic at this stage to believe that Colton Herta, Scott McLaughlin or Scott Dixon can take the crown, with a gap too big to close.
It looks like Power will be the only man tasked with taking the IndyCar championship down to the wire, with three races left to close a 54-point gap.
Alex Palou aims to be ‘aggressive’ in the closing stages of the season
It’s surprising to see that Palou has only two wins, while Power has three this year, but the Spaniard has been a model of consistency and that is what has earned him such a big gap.
But he isn’t completely satisfied yet, and insists that there is more work to do before he can relax yet in an interview with Autosport.
READ MORE: Why Alex Palou should be worried about four IndyCar drivers in his quest to win the 2024 title
“I think it’s good. It’s not enough, but it could be a lot worse,” Palou said. “I’m looking forward. I think that allows us to go aggressive, to just think about the race and not having to think about points and trying to minimise damage or anything like that.
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be tough. It seems like a lot, but at the same time, it’s almost nothing.
“It’s only one race. You just said it. Hopefully, we can pick up a little bit more points during the Milwaukee weekend.”
Will a change in style net Palou a positive result?
Power admitted that he failed to find the right balance of aggression in 2024, compared to a lack of such action in years prior.
His last few races could’ve been so much better if he had managed to stay incident-free, and he would even be right on the heels of Palou.
But incidents like the one he caused with David Malukas at Gateway have not helped his cause.
READ MORE: 11-win IndyCar driver says he’s finally ready to win on an oval after lacklustre results
Now the Spaniard has afforded himself the luxury of being able to go on the attack in the final three rounds, in pursuit of a maiden IndyCar oval win and third championship.
It will all be wrapped up by the middle of September, when we will know whether his increased aggression and a change in approach more akin to title rival Power works out.
For Power, now is no time to let up and he must use his experience to put himself in the best position for the championship decider in Nashville.