Palou wins first career Indy 500 in thrilling finish

Sun, May 25, 2025 at 4:09 PM

Palou wins first career Indy 500 in thrilling finish

INDIANAPOLIS -- Despite all the issues at the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500, Sunday was finally the day for Alex Palou.

The Spaniard won the Indy 500 under caution--a fitting end to a day marred by crashes and problems on pit lane. The win breaks the Indy 500 dry spell for the series' most dominant driver.

Alex Palou, of Spain, celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver had to hold off a stiff challenge from 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson in the final laps. Ericsson finished second, with David Malukas third, Pato O'Ward fourth and Felix Rosenqvist fifth.

Palou led just 14 laps during the race. But at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it doesn't matter how many laps you lead as long as you're ahead of the field as you cross the finish line.

He's the first Spaniard to win the storied race.

"I cannot believe it. What an amazing day. What an amazing race," Palou said. "I cannot believe it. It was tough. Tough conditions out there, especially if you were like, third or fourth in the pack. Even leading, the fuel consumption was super high, so they didn't want me to lead. I wanted to lead, honestly, so yeah, made it happen."

The win marked his fifth in six IndyCar races this season. And while he is a three-time series champion, his impressive resume was lacking a 500 victory.

Storylines abounded for the 2025 addition of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

Back-to-back winner Josef Newgarden was seeking his third straight Indy 500 win, but a penalty during qualifying sent him to the back row. He steadily worked his way through the field before a fuel pump issue foiled his chances to repeat. He'd gotten up to ninth position and finished 25th. Penske teammate Will Power, also kicked to the back of the field, finished 19th.

Longtime 500 favorite Helio Castroneves was racing against history as he tried to become the first driver to win five times. He crept his way into the top ten and finished 13th.

Kyle Larson was chasing some history of his own, first racing in Indianapolis before heading to Charlotte for NASCAR's Coca-Cola to make a run at "The Double." But he wouldn't drive 1,100 miles after crashing just after a restart just before the race's midway point.

The crash, which happened just after a restart near the race's midway point, also took out Kyffin Simpson and Sting Ray Robb. After the crash, Larson expressed disappointment and said he would concentrate his efforts on running strong in Charlotte's NASCAR race.

Rain delayed the start of the race by more than 30 minutes.

Even before the race started, problems were apparent. Scott McLaughlin crashed in the parade laps, ending his day before the green flag dropped. Cameras captured a distraught McLaughlin in the aftermath.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 25: Scott McLaughlin during the NTT IndyCar Series109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Sparks flew from Scott Dixon's car, which appeared to be from overheating brakes. He managed the issue without missing the start. However, he later had to go into the pits to have his brakes changed and ended up three laps back. He finished 23rd.

The 500 eventually started under caution. Just as soon as the green flag dropped, the race went back under caution on Lap 4 as Marco Andretti crashed into the wall. Andretti told the broadcast he "got crowded," had nowhere to go and ended up going into the wall.

While there were no more rain stoppages, some light sprinkles did put the race under yellow for a few laps.

Still, issues continued. Colton Herta earned a penalty for a speed violation in the pits. Rinus VeeKay, who'd started 31st, spun and crashed while heading to the pits. In radio chatter, he said he had "no brakes" as he was making his way in for the stop.

And then there Alexander Rossi. For a time, he and teammate Christian Rasmussen were passing the lead back and forth in a strategy to save fuel and pace the field. But Rossi's car caught fire in the pits-with a crewmember also catching fire-bringing an end to his day.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 25: Alexander Rossi, driver of the #20 ECR Java House Chevrolet, leaves his car as it catches on fire on pit road during the NTT IndyCar Series109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Rossi told the broadcast he and his teammate were okay. He called it "another opportunity lost" and lamented the issue as his car had been running strong.

The pits were perilous. Takuma Sato missed his spot on the grid and had to put his car into reverse, costing him precious time. He'd been running strong throughout the race and finished 11th. Rookie and pole winner Robert Shwartzman came in too fast for his spot, hitting crewmembers and making contact with the wall. The crash brought his underdog story to an unfortunate end.

Shwartzman said he was trying to slow down but his brakes locked up.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 25: Robert Shwartzman, driver of the #83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet, runs into his crew as he pits during the NTT IndyCar Series109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

It looked like Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2014 500 champ, would make a strong run at a second win. He led at the midpoint and with 50 laps left. However, his car locked up after a pitstop at a crucial point of the race, and he couldn't recover. He finished 24th.

The unofficial results for the race: