Striking contrast at the finish of the Alabama Grand Prix between Álex Palou, who gave a masterclass, and Romain Grosjean, who saw a promising race gradually slip away.
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The Chip Ganassi Racing driver, four-time defending IndyCar champion, left no room for doubt.
Starting from pole position, he controlled the race from start to finish with great serenity, imposing a solid and constant pace without ever putting himself in difficulty.
In control from the first to the last lap
Even during key strategic phases, notably during pit stops or in traffic after his final trip through the pit lane, the Spaniard kept his cool.
Potential undercut or overcut attempts never really materialized, partly due to his rivals’ mistakes, such as Christian Lundgaard’s (McLaren) complicated stop.
In the end, Palou won with authority, securing a clear victory that puts him right back in the title hunt in the IndyCar Series, just two points behind leader Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti), who finished fifth yesterday.
Grosjean back to square one
Meanwhile, Romain Grosjean, driving for Dale Coyne Racing, had a much more eventful race. Starting sixth, the Frenchman had all the cards in hand to aim for a solid result. Very incisive at the start of the race, he was aggressive in his maneuvers and able to gain positions, confirming a competitive pace on this demanding track.
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But his progress was quickly halted by a decisive factor: traffic. Stuck behind backmarkers at key moments, Grosjean was never able to fully exploit his car’s potential. In a championship like IndyCar, where track position and strategic timing are essential, this type of situation can ruin a race.
Lap after lap, he lost time and momentum, seeing his ambitions gradually fade. Despite his efforts and obvious fighting spirit, he ultimately finished in a distant 15th place, a result that does not reflect his performance level over the weekend.
Rahal on the podium
While the Spaniard sent a strong message in the championship race, the Frenchman can nonetheless take positive lessons from his performance. It now remains to convert this potential into results in the upcoming races, starting with Long Beach, where execution and race context will once again be decisive.
Runner-up to Palou at Barber, Lundgaard may have regrets about his missed pit stop as he was matching Palou’s pace on track and ultimately settled for second place ahead of veteran Graham Rahal (RLL), who was in top form this weekend unlike his young teammate Mick Schumacher, who finished second to last and one lap down. Rahal thus returns to the podium for the first time since 2023.
In the provisional standings before the Long Beach round in three weeks, Kirkwood (156 points) leads Palou (154), Lundgaard (121), and Penske drivers David Malukas (116) and Josef Newgarden (113). Only nineteenth, Grosjean has just 51 points.
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