Alex Palou is IndyCar’s newest champion, having earned the accolade by finishing 38 points ahead of two-time champion Josef Newgarden.
Just completing his sophomore year, the young Spanish driver spent most of the season picking the brains of his far more experienced team-mates, and he credits their help for his success.
“I don’t think there’s anybody close or like Dixon,” said Palou after winning the title. “He’s an amazing driver, really complete.
“He always gives 100%, and extracts 100% from the car. Without him I wouldn’t be here today. That’s 100% true.
“I’ve been learning a lot from him, from how to go faster, to save fuel, save tires, think better while I’m in the car, everything. Yeah, it’s a lot of thanks to Scott.”
Palou made no secret throughout the season that he was constantly asking questions of Dixon, who was happy to share his experienced opinions with the 24-year-old.
But now that Palou has finished ahead of the field and claimed his own championship, will he still be able to rely on that level of support from his team-mates next season?
“I hope so, otherwise I’ll be in trouble,” answered Palou. “Yeah, I expect him to be the same way.
“[Dixon’s] an amazing person. Not only him, Jimmie [Johnson], Marcus [Ericsson], and Tony [Kanaan] on the ovals. Yeah, I think they’ll be happy to help.
“We start from new in February. I’m just going to be no champion any more. So, yeah, I think we’ll still share stuff to make the team stronger, and that’s going to give us the best position at the end of the year.”
