Will Power doesn’t hold back on his anger at Alex Palou during heated Mid-Ohio confrontation

Things got really heated between Will Power and Alex Palou following the conclusion of the final practice session of the Indy 200 Mid-Ohio event. The veteran driver confronted the championship leader in the aftermath of the final practice session ahead of qualifying.

The Team Penske driver, who appeared visibly livid, stormed over to the #10 Chip Ganassi driver’s pit box to air his frustration following an incident that had occurred between the pair during the earlier part of the session. Specifically, Power, who was on a push lap during his qualifying simulation run, appeared to encounter Alex Palou, who was on a slow lap around the 2.258-mile circuit.

The relatively slow driving from Palou appeared to cost Will Power time, and the veteran Australian made sure to air his thoughts on the incident with the Spanish driver following the session. In a video shared by IndyCar on YouTube, Power could be seen hurling expletives as the two-time IndyCar champion went on a tirade.

Alex Palou, who bore the brunt of the verbal outburst, largely put up a smiling face as he gestured back to Power with a few words of his own. Will Power would conclude the final practice session at the Ohio event on the 15th, with a time of 01:06.1162, over seven-tenths off Palou, who led the field during the session.

Alex Palou tops Mid-Ohio qualifying despite incident with Will Power

While the outburst of Will Power at Alex Palou was the major talking point from the second practice session, it should be noted that Palou still exerted his dominance on the track, as he topped the timing sheet during the session. The 28-year-old clocked the fastest time around the sports car course ahead of Christian Lundgaard.

The Chip Ganassi driver, who has largely dominated the 2025 IndyCar grid, clocked a fastest time of 01:05.3961 to claim P1 for the session. Palou, who boasts fond memories of driving around the Ohio road course, was also quicker than championship rival Kyle Kirkwood, who could only muster a time of 01:05.9352 — good enough for ninth place despite setting the pace during the first round of practice on Friday.

While Kirkwood struggled to match the front-running pace in the afternoon, rookie driver Louis Foster was third quickest in the session, and the British driver was followed closely by Pato O’Ward, who clocked the fourth fastest time of the session. Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist also proved to be on the pace as he recorded a time of 01:05.7945 to round off the top five runners in the session.

With practice now behind, Alex Palou will shift his focus to qualifying, as the former Dale Coyne Racing driver aims to clinch victory at the tricky, undulating Ohio circuit. Palou clinched pole position during the 2024 edition of the event and will be aiming for a repeat of that performance as he continues his charge toward a fourth IndyCar Series championship.