In an electrifying performance at The Thermal Club during the NTT IndyCar Series, Alex Palou seized a spectacular victory over Pato O’Ward, marking his second consecutive win for the 2025 season. Palou’s triumph solidified his commanding lead in the early points tally, building on his title successes from the previous two years.
The race commenced with O’Ward in pole position, a leverage he used to maintain a firm grip at the forefront of the field for the majority of the race. His Arrow McLaren Chevy was a formidable machine until the final stint when Palou, equipped with fresh soft compound tires, mounted a serious challenge.
Palou’s vehicle practically ignited with the new tires, enabling him to overtake O’Ward with 10 laps to spare. He executed this move with such precision and speed, catching up to O’Ward at a rate of over one second per lap, that he faced no significant resistance. Despite finishing 10 seconds and a full straight behind Palou, the #10 entry on the road, O’Ward secured a comfortable second place. Nevertheless, the Mexican driver voiced his disappointment with the results, pondering strategies to keep Palou at bay in future races.
Adding to the race’s thrilling narrative, Christian Lundgaard delivered a commendable performance, clinching a podium finish after starting on the front row. The Danish driver fiercely contested Palou during the closing laps but was ultimately unable to stave off the inevitable. Colton Herta and Felix Rosenqvist completed the top five for Andretti Global and Meyer Shank Racing, respectively.
The track’s rugged terrain tore through the Firestone tires at an accelerated pace, necessitating four pit stops for most drivers. Fresh tires emerged as the superior strategy, but due to dwindling supplies towards the weekend’s end, many had to resort to at least one set of used tires.
In a testament to their resilience, two Team Penske members managed to ascend from their disappointing qualifying positions to respectable results in a race devoid of caution. Will Power made the most significant leap, propelling from 21st to sixth by the time the checkered flag waved. Teammate Josef Newgarden also improved his standing, moving his #2 Chevy into 13th position by the day’s end.
The race was not without its share of drama, as Scott McLaughlin was spun around by Devlin DeFrancesco during the initial lineup for the green flag. McLaughlin managed to recover from the spin but was forced to retire his overheated hybrid car after a pit stop on lap 20, finishing in the 27th and final position.
PREMA’s challenging weekend extended into the race when Callum Ilott collided with his teammate Robert Shwartzman on the opening lap. The impact sent Ilott’s car airborne, resulting in a broken front wing and an early pit stop, leaving him one lap behind in 26th. Shwartzman escaped the incident unscathed but faced pit stop issues that impeded his early progress, finishing 22nd in his #83 entry.
Adding to the event’s suspense, a power issue at the track knocked out the FOX television broadcast for 12 of the 65 laps, leaving journalists on-site without their internal feed. The feed was restored shortly before the final pit stop sequence.
The NTT IndyCar Series will continue its spread-out season opening with a two-week break before returning to California for a thrilling race around the Long Beach streets on April 13.
