Alex Palou is using excessive this week following his history-making Indianapolis 500 win—but his focus is already centered on staying bodily recent and mentally razor sharp for his subsequent race.
The 28-year-old Spaniard is now not simply identified solely by these within the auto racing know. By crossing the end line first on the Brickyard this previous Sunday, Palou immediately turned a world famous person. And he’s been on prime of the world all week—or a minimum of as excessive because the statement deck of New York Metropolis’s Empire State Constructing, simply one in every of dozens of media commitments which additionally included stops at Nasdaq headquarters, a New York Mets recreation, and appearances on dozens and dozens of discuss exhibits worldwide.
Even whereas having fun with all this celebratory chaos, Palou discovered methods to squeeze in moments to take care of bodily health, formal apparel and all. “I attempt to maintain transferring—I used to be performing some pushups simply to get blood flowing,” he says. “It’s powerful as a result of I don’t have a lot time, and it’s not good to be sitting all day or transferring lower than I usually do.”
For Palou, sustaining peak bodily situation has turn out to be a non-negotiable—his endurance on and off the observe has helped gasoline the unequalled psychological acuity that has set him aside from opponents by a large margin this yr.To this point in 2025, Palou has gained 5 of six races, and one runner up.
A part of his success lies in his means to maximise each second, even when it’s a number of body-weight reps at a time.
So what was behind the masterful technique to overtake runner-up Marcus Ericsson on Lap 187 —an inside move that’s already completely etched as one essentially the most exhilarating moments in IndyCar historical past? What appeared to many race observers as Palou making the most of a second of alternative on the final second was in actual fact, in accordance with the three-time Indycar champion, a meticulously calculated maneuver miles within the making.
“I’d been eager about that transfer for 20 laps,” Palou reveals. “That’s the place the chess recreation begins… I used to be second, and (Ericsson) was first. There was some visitors, and I began feeling the automotive, getting runs, and scouting my second. As soon as I noticed a spot with run, I knew I needed to make the transfer early. Ready would solely harm me and shrink my possibilities. When the chance got here, I went for it.”
Palou’s calm but relentless psychological method didn’t simply assist declare him the lead—he admits a split-second selections saved him from a catastrophic mistake in a race already stuffed with chaos and calamity.
“Individuals don’t all the time see how a lot we’re pushing the bounds till one thing massive occurs,” he displays. “However we’re all the time there—proper there on the sting.”
Joe Skibinsky
Preparation Results in ‘Luck’ for Alex Palou
The 109th operating of the Indianapolis 500 was stuffed with drama even earlier than the race started. Pole sitter Scott McLaughlin misplaced management throughout warmups and by no means took the inexperienced flag. Rookie pole sitter Robert Schwarzman misjudged his pit crew’s place, crashing into them earlier than the race even began. Kyle Larson’s bold effort to finish each the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Charlotte 600 in in the future ended when he spun into the wall. Alexander Rossi’s threw his gloves in his disgust after a gearbox failure led to a fiery pit lane explosion.
Within the chaos, Palou’s calm and management carried him by way of—however not with out having to keep away from his personal race-ending catastrophe. Whereas issues seemed easy from begin to end for the Indy 500 winner, with about 15 laps left throughout his closing pit cease, Palou admits to approaching Pit Street too quick, inflicting his automotive to slip sideways. If he obtained a delay penalty—his day could be over lengthy earlier than his thrilling win.
“I went into the pit tremendous fast—too fast,” he says. “If I used to be simply 2 mph over, I’d’ve been out of the race.”
As a champion, nevertheless, the sooner Palou was in a position to let go of a nasty scenario and transfer on was as vital because the pace of his Ganassi No. 10 DHL Honda.
“As quickly as I entered (Pit Lane) and it was all good, I obtained on the radio and mentioned, ‘Pit Lane, that it,’” he says. “It simply takes half a second to modify your thoughts and be like, Okay, subsequent. You can not actually give attention to simply occurred— good or unhealthy. That’s gone, we have to give attention to what’s subsequent.”
Chris Jones
For Alex Palou, Racing Is a Chess Sport on and off the Monitor
Palou’s race-winning execution in passing Ericsson on Lap 187 was by no means a matter of if, however a matter of when. “I knew I used to be doing it, and I knew I’m doing it that lap,” he says. “You’re simply deciding whether or not you’re occurring the within or the surface.”
Regardless of all of the precision in bodily and psychological preparation that led to Palou’s victory, Mom Nature did her finest to derail the three-time Indycar winner’s plans earlier than the race even started. One other of the hidden challenges of Sunday’s race was staying hydrated, even in cool 60-degree circumstances. Sunday’s 36-minute rain delay didn’t assist, enjoying havoc with Palou’s fluid steadiness whereas the vehicles remained nonetheless on the observe.
Whereas the 375,000-plus followers on the sold-out Indianapolis Motor Speedway had been celebrating his win, exterior of Victory Lane, Palou’s first request was a bottle of water.
“I used to be hydrating rather a lot earlier than the race,” he recollects, “so earlier than it began, I felt like I needed to pee as a result of we weren’t sweating, it wasn’t heat, and we weren’t transferring.” However as soon as the inexperienced flag waved, the problem endured. “All through the race, the necessity simply saved rising. I couldn’t drink a lot in the course of the race—I had a drink system, however I used to be already full and couldn’t absorb extra water.”
Dehydration hit exhausting as soon as the race was over. “As quickly as I completed, I used to be dehydrated as a result of I hadn’t hydrated in the course of the race. Then I began operating and celebrating, and the joy hit me instantly—I felt unhealthy. I wanted water, air, house. There have been tons of cameras and other people from the group round me, and I used to be like, ‘Guys, simply give me one second, please.’ Then I relaxed just a little after consuming some water, and I felt nice once more.”
The bodily toll was caught on digicam, however Palou’s day was solely warming up. Later that night, sporting the long-lasting Indy wreath, he was the visitor of honor on the NBA Jap Convention championship recreation between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks. TNT NBA analyst Reggie Miller couldn’t assist however ask about Palou’s Whoop rating—a biometric measure of exertion and restoration.
Palou admitted his rating was fairly excessive, however not fully due to the race itself. “It was 20—it was excessive, however not loopy,” he says. Whoop detected an exercise separate from the race, and that was the celebration. I burned extra energy and used extra power (celebrating) than I did within the race.”
James Black
Studying from Errors Is the Key to Indycar Dominance
Growing the power to remain calm and centered is a talent Palou says can’t come from merely watching movie or hitting weightroom. It’s years repetition—and shedding—on the highest ranges of racing and entry-level go kart racing that helped put together Palou to turn out to be racing’s most dominant driver. “I believe you put together that in your profession,” he says. “It’s one thing that you simply begin growing whenever you’re a child in go karts and also you’re doing races and extra races, and also you get in numerous situations. If there’s a spot, you go for it, or possibly it’s not sufficient. It’s a talent that you simply develop all through the years.”
One in all Palou’s most memorable and painful classes that has helped along with his growth was his 2021 runner up end to four-time Indy champion Helio Castroneves. “He was in a position to learn the visitors rather a lot higher than I used to be at the moment,” he admits. “He truly used the visitors into his benefit …and I used to be the other…You by no means know till you go for it. However I had an concept that it was the same scenario to what I had in 2021.”
Identical Previous Alex Palou This Sunday
All through this week’s celebrations, Palou says he did his finest to a minimum of maintain his eating regimen in examine whereas his coaching was restricted. “I’ve been consuming actually good and wholesome up to now,” he says. “It’s going to place me in the fitting place. My throat was unhealthy after the celebration, nevertheless it’s getting higher. I’ll eat a salad with quinoa and plenty of fruit to get as many nutritional vitamins as attainable.”
When the classes are throughout, it’s again to work for Palou, beginning with this Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. He then will get a well-earned two-week break earlier than heading to Bommarito Auto Group s 500 on June 15.
I’m going to permit myself to take pleasure in each single second of it till subsequent yr,” he says. “However that doesn’t change that after we go to Detroit. I can not end fifteenth and be like, yeah, I completed fifteenth, however I’m the Indy 500 winner. It doesn’t go like that for me.”
Following Sunday’s race, Palou will benefit from his temporary break to chill out as a lot as attainable at house as attainable and provides his physique the remainder it deserves—which means restoration.
“It’s gonna be good to be at house, chill out, get some some sleep, get better. and begin constructing once more,” he says. “Want to begin constructing all that muscle I’ve misplaced over the previous two weeks. It was intense on the speedway these previous two weeks. You’re there for 12 hours a day—theres no time to do anything.”
