Alex Palou is IndyCar’s newest three time champion, clinching the title in the final race of the 2024 season held at Nashville Superspeedway.
Not only is he one of only 12 drivers to have earned three championships in America’s top open wheel series, he is the second youngest to do so at the age of 27.
The Spaniard has only been racing in IndyCar for five seasons, and to already have three titles to his name is a serious accomplishment.
Palou’s rapid rise into the record books has shown the world how talented of a driver he is, and often the conversation turns to compare him to other great drivers of the series, including his Chip Ganassi Racing team-mate Scott Dixon.
Team owner Chip Ganassi is aware that he has more than one exceptional talent on his team, and is enjoying the successes his drivers have brought to his team in recent years.
“Good question. I don’t know,” said Ganassi when asked who Palou can be compared to. “We’ve been lucky to have some great drivers on the team over the years.
“You want to make the obvious comparisons, but I don’t know that you can. At his age to be doing what he’s doing, having the experience that he has. Especially with the series the way it is today now with some ovals, these guys aren’t exactly oval meisters that are excelling in the series today.
“There are some better oval racers out there. I’m sure he’ll tell you that. So it’s an interesting series now. It’s an interesting mix.
“To have a guy like Alex on your team… I was saying to somebody yesterday, three championships in four years. I mean, I don’t know how many guys have three championships, not that many.
“He’s in pretty rarefied air right now, as they say. His name has to be among and certainly in the conversation of the great drivers. He’s certainly in the conversation of the greatest.”
The only driver to earn three championships at a younger age than Palou was Sam Hornish Jr., who clinched his third title in 2006 at an age three months younger than Palou.
It is no wonder why Ganassi fought to keep Palou on the team, despite earlier disagreements and lawsuits over contracts involving Arrow McLaren.
The team owner’s famous line is “I like winners,” and he has plenty to be happy about while Palou continues to represent CGR.
Ganassi went on to say that while he knew Palou was talented when he completed his first IndyCar test, the level of success he’s had in just a few short years in the series was not expected.
“I can tell you that my expectation was that I was just hoping that we had a guy that liked ovals, liked road races, was going to grow with the team.
“I had no idea what three of the next four years were going to be like. If I told you I had any other idea or expectation, I’d be lying to you. I had no idea it would be this much fun and this successful.”
