IndyCar has officially wrapped their quintuple-header in Monterey at the infamous Laguna Seca Circuit. What followed was a race that nearly felt like Palou vs a sea of NXT drivers. The speed of his car was unmatched with only one unlikely challenger for the lead due to a slew of early cautions. Here are the key takeaways from the IndyCar Grand Prix of Monterey.
The Inevitable Palou Championship
Palou has essentially won the IndyCar Championship in Monterey for the 3rd year in a row. What’s left for him to do? Start the next 3 races. By points, however, after a faultless drive in Monterey, we have our champion.
“It’s hard to explain and describe this is sports history being written in front of our eyes.” – James Hinchcliffe on Alex Palou
Watching Palou drive in Monterey was an absolute masterclass in handling a car. You would have never guessed that any other driver struggled because it looked as though Palou was taking a leisurely drive home from work. The question that remains in people’s heads now is “what’s next for Palou?” “Will he be beaten in 2026 or will next season repeat history?”
“It was another magical day for us. This was one of our best weekends ever.” – Alex Palou
Lap One Carnage
Although Palou may have had a smooth Lap 1 (and 2-95), the same could not be said for Conor Daly, Robert Schwartzman, Felix Rosenqvist, or Kyffin Simpson. Monterey is renowned for its difficult turns lined with gravel traps and the infamous corkscrew. The former became the focus of our attention as lap one claimed 4 collision victims.
Kyffin was the only driver unable to continue, but this spelled more bad luck for Rosenqvist. Felix qualified in P4 but finished running in last place among the finishers.
Callum Ilott in top form
Callum Ilott finished in P6 today after starting in a disappointing 24th place near the back of the grid. The thing is… Prema (and IndyCar fans) have been waiting for his luck to break this way all season.
There have been major question marks in the IndyCar paddock surrounding Callum as the veteran on the rookie Prema team. After a generally disappointing season, his last two races in Toronto and Monterey have finally displayed his true skill behind the wheel.
The only question that remains for Prema and Callum is what 2026 will look like. My take, after investing in Ilott all season and utilizing his experience for the development of the new car, his seat is safe for 2026.
Penske… perfect(ish)?
Penske wasn’t worth writing home about in Monterey… which is something TO write home about. All three drivers had relatively faultless races. Even Newgraden who started 4th and ended 11th just… faded into the background of the race.
The cars were fast, but not fast enough. Most notably McLaughlin and Newgarden lost positions to an ECR machine. This race, though, was a net positive for Will Power considering he has been the topic of seat conversations as the end of season approaches.
What Next?
All in all Monterey was eventfully, uneventful with the championship wrapping itself up in a nice bow. Palou will reign victorious again. As for the rest of the grid, seats are the question. Who will stay and who will go with only 3 races remaining in the 2025 IndyCar Season?
Feature Image: IndyCar Media
IndyCar returns at Portland on August 10th.
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