Palou strikes first in St Pete with commanding triumph

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The NTT IndyCar Series kicked off its 2025 season on the streets of St. Petersburg on Sunday, where Alex Palou turned the Firestone Grand Prix into a showcase of brilliance to claim victory in the season opener.

Blending razor-sharp strategy, blistering speed, and unyielding patience, the Chip Ganassi Racing charger surged from eighth on the grid to a commanding 2.8669-second triumph, leaving no doubt that his championship hunger burns as fiercely as ever.

Behind the three-time series champ, CGR teammate Scott Dixon fought valiantly to snag second place despite a radio blackout for the final 90 laps of the 100-lap duel.

A mid-race yellow has flipped their strategy, but Palou adapted flawlessly, guiding his car to Victory Lane and sealing his 12th career win in IndyCar and Ganassi’s first 1-2 finish since July 2023.

Josef Newgarden, the two-time champ, settled for third in his No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet.

“What an amazing job by everybody,” Palou beamed post-race. “They gave me everything we needed to win. I told you yesterday we had a really fast car.”

For Palou, the 138-day wait since Nashville melted away. “I’ve been dreaming about this every night,” he said.

The dream, it seems, is just beginning.

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