"Just be yourself, idiot": Alex Palou reveals Jimmie Johnson's best advice that changed his IndyCar worldview

Alex Palou and NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson were teammates between 2021 and 2022 at Chip Ganassi Racing. With the seven-time Cup Series champion being in the CGR squad when the Spaniard was fighting for his first IndyCar title in 2021, Palou revealed how Johnson's one advice changed his perspective on racing and geared him up for the challenge lying ahead.

Palou made his IndyCar debut in 2020 and moved to CGR for the following year. There, Johnson also arrived in the same timeline for his IndyCar venture, after racing stock cars for over a decade.

The 50-year-old, having vast expertise in amassing championships at the rough end of the racing ladder, also lent his racing experience to Palou. In his pursuit of his maiden Astor Cup in 2021, he had Johnson by his side, and reflecting on how he helped him gather up a championship-winning season, the 28-year-old said on the Pit Pass Indy podcast:

"But yeah, he's taught me a lot about winning, about keeping always pushing for a little bit more to try and get more wins, more championships, and just to still have that fire inside. And yeah, I'm just lucky that I got to share a couple of years as a teammate with him." (29:43 onwards)

"He said that I just had to be myself. He said that the best thing that his dad told him was that he said, 'Hey, Jimmy, just be yourself, idiot.' And it's funny, that was before his first championship battle, and that's what he told me before my first championship battle at Long Beach. So it kind of makes you realise that at the end of the day, it's only racing and we only need to do our best to try and beat them all."

On the other hand, Jimmie Johnson remained as Alex Palou's teammate in IndyCar until the end of the 2022 season. He then parted ways with the open-wheel racing ladder and has since made a few race starts in the NASCAR Cup Series with the Legacy Motor Club outfit.

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Alex Palou is still in contact with Jimmie Johnson

Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou holding the Astor Cup after the completion of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR Series Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Though Alex Palou and Jimmie Johnson are no longer teammates, the pair are still in touch with each other. They don't talk to each other frequently like they once used to, but their warm bond is going strong.

Opening up on how his relationship with Johnson is panning out, Palou said on the podcast:

"We don't speak like every week, but yeah, I exchanged a couple [of] messages [with him]. He sent me a couple of congrats messages this year at the [Indy] 500. I saw him at the 500, when I met [Tom] Brady and he was around, it was cool. So he's such a great guy and I cannot wait to see him again." (31:10 onwards)

Meanwhile, Alex Palou became a four-time IndyCar champion in 2025. He has been able to win three consecutive championship titles, leaving him only one title victory away from tying the record for most consecutive championships won by an IndyCar driver, which is currently held by Sebastian Bourdais.

The Spaniard has only just started in the IndyCar sphere and has at least a few more years on the cards lined up ahead. This could help him to secure a few more championships and possibly join the likes of Bourdais or topple his record altogether if he continues such impeccable form.