Alex Palou puts on a show of strength amid major crashes involving Colton Herta and Marcus Armstrong at IMS

The 2025 Indy 500 is only a week away, and ahead of it, quite a few drivers have rammed their cars into the barriers at IMS. However, this has not been the case for the reigning IndyCar champion, Alex Palou. The 28-year-old finished second in Practice 6 at the track and then topped the first run of qualifying.

During the ongoing build-up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (all the sessions, from practice to qualifying, among others), top drivers like Colton Herta and Meyer Shank Racing's Marcus Armstrong found themselves in the barriers while going around the track at high speeds.

Armstrong had his shunt in practice, whereas Colton Herta's crash came in the first round of the qualifying session. While these drivers have struggled, Alex Palou put his mark at IMS by topping in the first round of qualifying with an average four-lap top speed of 233.043 mph. He also finished second in Practice 6, behind Felix Rosenqvist.

In the 2024 edition of the Indy 500, Alex Palou managed a fifth-place finish behind Alexander Rossi (P4), Scott Dixon (P3), Pato O'Ward (P2), and the two-time IndyCar champion, Josef Newgarden (P1).

Alex Palou is red-hot form in 2025 IndyCar season

Alex Palou has been around IndyCar only since 2020. Despite this, he has quickly established himself as one of the top drivers in the sport. He has already amassed three IndyCar championships, and is on course to amass his fourth this year.

In line with this, the 28-year-old has won four of the first five races, with his most recent triumph coming in last week's SONSIO GP (Indianapolis road-course). Post his sensational outing, he added the following via his post-race interview:

"I cannot describe the amazing season we’ve had so far. I owe everything to the team, Chip Ganassi Racing, my teammates, everybody who is working behind the scenes to make me look so fast on track. It’s amazing. It’s unbelievable," Palou said via IndyCar.

Alex Palou has so far competed in over 80 races in the sport. Other than his three championships, he has amassed 15 victories, 36 podiums, and eight pole positions.

In the ongoing 2025 season, he is leading the title race handsomely with 248 points, with second-placed Kyle Kirkwood on 151 and Christian Lundgaard in third with 150 points.

During next week's all-important Indy 500, Palou will have the chance to further solidify his position at the top of the drivers' standings. Keeping in view that he has never won the 200-lap race, this will act as an additional motivation factor for him.

The 28-year-old has all the skills in his arsenal to secure his maiden victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Chip Ganassi Racing #10 car is working brilliantly this year, and Palou's fans will expect a gem of an outing from him in next week's event.