Álex Palou

Álex Palou Montalbo was born on April 1, 1997, in Sant Antoni de Vilamajor in Catalonia. He began karting in 2003 and progressed through Spanish junior series over the following years, collecting a total of six national titles. He won his only international karting title in 2012 in the KF3 class of the WSK Euro Series, and that same year finished as runner-up in the CIK-FIA European Championship behind George Russell.

Palou made his Formula debut in 2014 in Euroformula Open for Campos Racing, finishing third overall with victories at the Nürburgring, Barcelona, and the Hungaroring. In 2015, he moved to the GP3 Series, also with Campos Racing, and became the first Spanish race winner in series history at Abu Dhabi. He then competed in Japanese Formula 3, finishing third in 2017, followed by brief appearances in the FIA Formula 2. In 2019, he started in the Japanese Super Formula, winning Rookie of the Year with one victory and third place overall, before making the move to North America and the IndyCar Series.

At Chip Ganassi Racing, where he has raced since 2021, Palou developed into the dominant driver of his generation. He won the IndyCar championship in 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025, becoming the fourth driver in history after Ted Horn, Sébastien Bourdais, and Dario Franchitti to win three consecutive series titles, while also becoming the youngest four-time champion in series history. The highlight of his career was his victory at the 109th Indianapolis 500 in 2025, making him the first Spaniard ever to win the legendary race. Between 2022 and 2023, he also served as test driver for the McLaren Formula 1 team and made his debut in a free practice session at the 2022 US Grand Prix.

For the 2026 season, Álex Palou continues as a full-time driver for Chip Ganassi Racing. With four titles in the past five years and the historic Indy 500 victory in 2025, he remains among the top favorites for the championship title and will aim to extend his streak of championship success while solidifying Ganassi’s position at the top of the IndyCar Series.