Alex Palou took a unique route in the early days of his motorsport career after racing in the junior categories below Formula 1.
The Spaniard began racing in Europe and was immediately on the pace in Spanish Formula 3, finishing second in the championship standings.
Palou continued moving up the ladder, competing in the GP3 Series in 2016 before moving to Japan and shifting his focus away from Formula 1.
The Spaniard moved to America and made his IndyCar debut in 2020 before winning the championship for Chip Ganassi Racing the following season.
He has won three titles to date, and Palou is heading into 2025 looking to win three in a row to repeat Dario Franchitti’s feat from his career.
But Chip Ganassi Racing chief Mike Hull has now told SoyMotor about Palou’s plan to strengthen their ties and achieve even more success over the coming years.
Alex Palou’s racing team is partnering with Chip Ganassi Racing to aid young drivers
Palou has been very successful over his career and created a Eurocup-3 team at the start of last season alongside his dad, Ramon.
The outfit known as Palou Motorsport has had mixed success, taking just one podium place so far this season with third place at Spa-Francorchamps.
Junior categories are very difficult to adjust to, particularly when experienced teams such as MP Motorsport and Campos Racing lead the way.
Chip Ganassi Racing had to shrink their IndyCar effort to three cars and will begin to race in Indy NXT, providing a clearer pathway to America’s top single-seater series for young drivers.
CGR’s partnership with Palou Motorsport should help European drivers with aspirations of racing in America and IndyCar.
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Hull, director of Chip Ganassi Racing, explained that a clear pathway for young drivers up the ladder is crucial.
He said: “Defined steps up the ladder are just the first chapter. Combining an open mind with a diversified plan becomes the best route to professional development.
“To achieve success at the highest level, you have to start with a disciplined structure. Creating a winning mindset begins away from the racetrack. Mentoring within the CGR ethos fuels continued growth.”
Alex Palou is ‘not proud of’ his record on ovals in IndyCar
Palou is heading into the 2025 season looking for his fourth IndyCar championship and third consecutive success.
The Spaniard has performed admirably on road and street circuits, laying the foundations for his titles at Chip Ganassi Racing.
Despite being so competitive, he has yet to take a victory on an oval. This season, he crashed at Iowa Speedway and suffered a bad qualifying at Nashville Superspeedway before winning the title.
Palou is not happy with his record on ovals, but he has shown good speed, taking pole position for the Indy 500 last season.