Palou claims fifth IndyCar title at Milwaukee

Pato O'Ward won both races in Sunday's Milwaukee double-header, but the larger prize belonged to Alex Palou, whose fifth and tenth place finishes settled the championship with one round remaining.

O'Ward became the first driver since Rick Mears in 1981 to win two IndyCar races on the same day. The more important long-term statistic, however, belonged to Palou.

His fifth title in six seasons since joining Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021 moves him into outright third place on the all-time list. Only AJ Foyt, with seven championships, and Palou's team-mate Scott Dixon, with six, remain ahead of him.

Palou is also the youngest five-time champion in the history of the series. His four championships in succession equal the run achieved by Sebastien Bourdais from 2004 to 2007.

I owe everything to this team, Palou said. Just so proud of this team.

The numbers behind the season explain why the title was decided early. With the Laguna Seca finale remaining, Palou leads the series in wins with six, poles with eight, top-five finishes with 12 and laps led with 673.

The championship is Chip Ganassi Racing's 18th in IndyCar, moving the organisation ahead of Team Penske for the series record. It is the fifth title won by the Palou-Ganassi partnership, one short of Dixon's six championships with the same team.

Palou will receive the Astor Challenge Cup after next weekend's finale at Laguna Seca. The final round is therefore free of a title calculation, but not of historical interest: another strong result would put the finishing touch on one of the most sustained runs of success in modern American open-wheel racing.