Álex Palou facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Álex Palou
Palou at Detroit Grand Prix in 2024
Born	Álex Palou Montalbo (1997-04-01) 1 April 1997 (age 28) Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, Barcelona, Spain
Spouse(s)	Esther Valle ​ (m. 2023)​
Children	1
Nationality	Spanish
IndyCar Series career
87 races run over 6 years
Team(s)	No. 10 (Chip Ganassi Racing)
Best finish	1st (2021, 2023, 2024)
First race	2020 Genesys 300 (Texas)
Last race	2021 Honda Indy 200 (Mid-Ohio)
First win	2021 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama (Birmingham)
Last win	2025 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles 16 37 8
Previous series
2019 2019 2018 2017 2017 2017 2015–2016 2014	Super Formula Super GT FIA F3 European FIA Formula 2 Formula V8 3.5 Japanese F3 GP3 Series Euroformula Open
Championship titles
2021, 2023, 2024 2025 2012	IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 WSK Euro Series
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	2024
Teams	Cadillac-Ganassi
Best finish	7th (2024)
Class wins	0

Álex Palou Montalbo (born 1 April 1997) is a Spanish racing driver. He drives for Chip Ganassi Racing in the IndyCar Series. He has won the IndyCar championship three times: in 2021, 2023, and 2024. He also won the famous 2025 Indianapolis 500.

Álex is the first Spanish driver to win a major championship in American open-wheel racing. He was also the first Spaniard to win a race in the GP3 Series.

Early Years in Racing

Álex Palou was born in Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, Spain. He started karting (a type of racing with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles) in 2003. His biggest achievement in karting was winning the KF3 category of the WSK Euro Series in 2012.

Euroformula Open Debut

In 2014, Palou began his open-wheel racing career. He joined Campos Racing in the Euroformula Open Championship. He won his first race at the Nürburgring and the last race of the season at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. He also won a race at the Hungaroring. He finished third overall in the series that year.

Racing in Europe

After his start in Euroformula, Álex moved on to other racing series in Europe.

GP3 Series

Palou raced in the GP3 Series with Campos Racing for two seasons.

2015 Season

In 2015, Álex faced some challenges early in the season, including car issues and driving mistakes. However, he improved a lot as the year went on.

• At the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, he had a tough start in both races.
• At the Red Bull Ring in Austria, he stalled his engine at the start of one race and crashed in another.
• At the Silverstone Circuit in Great Britain, a car problem forced him to stop. He started from the back in the next race but passed many cars.
• At the Hungaroring in Hungary, another car hit him, causing a flat tire.
• At Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, he scored his first points in GP3. He led most of the second race but finished fifth.
• At the Monza Circuit in Italy, he struggled with his car's speed. He made a mistake during a warm-up lap, which cost him positions.
• At the Sochi Autodrom in Russia, he got a new engine, which helped his speed. He finished fourth in one race.
• At the Bahrain International Circuit, he had more car problems and had to start from the back of the grid.
• At the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, Palou won his first GP3 race! He started from pole position and led the entire race, becoming the first Spanish driver to win in the series.

2016 Season

Palou continued with Campos Racing in 2016. He achieved a second-place finish at Silverstone and a fifth-place finish at Yas Marina. He ended the season in 15th place overall.

Palou on the track at the Circuit of the Americas.

World Series Formula V8 3.5

In 2017, Palou also competed in three races of the 2017 World Series Formula V8 3.5 championship with Teo Martín Motorsport. He earned three pole positions (meaning he started from the very front) and won one race. This helped him finish 10th in the championship, even though he only raced part-time.

Later in 2017, Palou joined Campos Racing for two races in Formula 2. He scored 5 points and finished 21st in the championship.

FIA Formula 3 European Championship

Palou driving at the Norisring in European Formula 3.

In 2018, Palou returned to Europe for a full season with Hitech Bullfrog GP in the 2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship. He had a strong year, earning 7 podium finishes (meaning he finished in the top three). He ended the year in 7th place in the championship.

Racing in Japan

Álex Palou spent some time racing in Japan, where he found more success.

Japanese Formula 3

In 2017, Palou moved to Japan to race in Japanese Formula 3 for Threebond with Drago Corse. He won three races and finished third in the championship.

Super GT and Super Formula

In 2019, Palou raced full-time in two Japanese series: Super GT (GT300 class) and Super Formula.

• In Super GT, he raced with McLaren Customer Racing Japan and got one podium finish. He finished 15th in the championship.
• In Super Formula, Palou had even more success. He won a race at Fuji Speedway after starting from pole position. He also started from pole at the final race in Suzuka, but a car problem slowed him down. He finished 19th in that race, which dropped him to 3rd place in the championship.

IndyCar Series

In 2019, Palou tested an IndyCar for the first time.

Dale Coyne Racing (2020)

2020: Rookie Season

In 2020, Álex Palou joined Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh for his first season in the 2020 IndyCar Series. His first race at Texas Motor Speedway ended early due to a crash. However, he quickly showed his talent by earning his first IndyCar podium finish (top three) at Road America.

Chip Ganassi Racing (2021–present)

2021: First Championship

Palou joined Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021. On April 18, 2021, he won his first IndyCar Series race at Barber Motorsports Park. He also started from pole position at Texas Motor Speedway. He finished third at the GMR Grand Prix and an impressive second place in the 2021 Indianapolis 500. This strong start put him in the lead for the championship points.

Palou continued to perform well, with more podium finishes. He won again at Road America and finished third at Mid Ohio. Despite some engine penalties, he kept his lead. He won his third race of the season at Portland, which helped him secure his first IndyCar championship at the final race in Long Beach. He became the third Chip Ganassi Racing driver to win the IndyCar title. He also won the Mario Andretti Cup for being the best driver on road and street courses. After his win, he celebrated with a chicken-themed limousine, as fried chicken is his favorite post-race meal!

2022 Season

Palou during the 2022 XPEL 375.

Palou started the 2022 season with several podium finishes, showing he was ready to defend his title. He finished 5th in the championship, tying with another driver on points. He ended the year with a big win at the Laguna Seca finale.

2023: Second Championship

Palou had another fantastic start to 2023, finishing in the top five in four of the first five races. He won the 2023 GMR Grand Prix. During qualifying for the 107th Indianapolis 500, Palou set a new pole record speed of 234.217 mph, starting from the very front.

Palou during the 2023 Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America.

He then won the Detroit Grand Prix, followed by another win at Road America. He achieved a third consecutive win at Mid-Ohio. By winning the Grand Prix of Portland, he secured his second IndyCar championship one race early!

2024: Third Championship

Palou continued his strong performance in 2024. He finished in the top five in eight of the first ten races, winning on the IMS Road Course and at Laguna Seca. He also won the non-championship $1 Million Challenge event. His consistent driving helped him win his third IndyCar Series championship. He became the first IndyCar driver to win back-to-back championships since Dario Franchitti did it from 2009 to 2011.

2025 Season

Palou made history by winning the 2025 Indianapolis 500 on May 25, 2025. He is the first Spanish driver to ever win this famous race.

Formula One

In September 2022, McLaren announced that Álex Palou would test their Formula One car. He tested the MCL35M car at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and later at the Red Bull Ring.

Palou made his official debut in a Formula One practice session at the 2022 United States Grand Prix. He described the F1 car as "insane" and "capable of so much." In December 2022, McLaren announced him as a reserve driver for the 2023 Formula One World Championship.

Other Racing Ventures

Álex Palou also owns his own racing team called Palou Motorsport. This team competes in the Eurocup-3 series with four cars. His team achieved its first podium finish at Spa-Francorchamps.

Personal Life

On December 4, 2023, Álex Palou and his wife, Esther, welcomed their first child.

Karting Record

Karting Career Summary

Images for kids

• 2020 XPEL 375 30 (Álex Palou).jpg

  Palou during the 2020 XPEL 375.

See Also

In Spanish: Álex Palou para niños