Alex Palou remains unstoppable on IndyCar road and street circuits. Not even a rare caution can slow him.
The two-time defending series champ wins for the fourth time in five races in 2025, beating Pato O’Ward by 5+ seconds in the 85-lap race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Will Power completes the podium.
Graham Rahal, who started on the front row and leads 49 laps, finishes 6th.
It’s Palou’s 15th career win and third straight in this race.
Palou’s points lead on the rest of the 27-car paddock is approaching two full races, and we’re not one-third of the way into the season.
Rinus Veekay makes the biggest gain from the start, from 24th to 9th. Kyffin Simpson suffered a mechanical issue before the green flag, and finishes 27th after qualifying 10th.
The only late drama comes when David Malukas drives into the grass and can’t get restarted, bringing out the first IndyCar caution since Lap 1 of the season opener in St. Petersburg.
The season’s first oval race, the Indianapolis 500, is on May 25.
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IndyCar complete results from Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course
IndyCar live race updates from Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Lap 73 restart: No problem for Alex Palou, who keeps his lead by almost 1 second on Pato O’Ward.
It’s a fight to the finish
The field is back to green with 13 laps to go at @IMS!
: #IndyGP on FOX pic.twitter.com/V0MYRAipNI
Lap 69, CAUTION!: David Malukas goes into the grass and can’t get restarted, bringing out a caution and the safety crew. There had not been an in-race caution since Lap 1 of the season opener in St. Petersburg.
Full-course caution with 15 laps remaining @malukasdavid is stopped off track in the No. 4.
: #IndyGP on FOX pic.twitter.com/J6nDoUZrzq
IndyCar leaderboard at Lap 67
The full field has made 3 pit stops:
Pit lane TROUBLE for @GrahamRahal
Will this take the No. 15 out of podium contention?
: #IndyGP on FOX pic.twitter.com/Ryk57TdWIy
Lap 59: Alex Palou leads by 2+ seconds.
Lap 58: Alex Palou passes Graham Rahal for the lead.
TO THE LEAD @AlexPalou out-brakes @GrahamRahal to make the pass in Turn 7.
: #IndyGP on FOX pic.twitter.com/rs9EZl9AUE
The softer tires are considered faster, so Graham Rahal is at a disadvantage.
#IndyCar #IndyGP pic.twitter.com/IawEIhfxA1
IndyCar leaderboard at Lap 50
To put Graham’s desperation into perspective:
No IndyCar driver since 1946 has gone more than 100 races winless and ever won again.
Graham’s dry streak coming into today: 128 races
Lap 42: Graham Rahal and Alex Palou pit, and Rahal maintains a small edge leaving pit road. Christian Lundgaard is penalized for crossing into the racing line too soon out of the pits.
Rahal Palou
A battle between pit crews on the second pit stop of afternoon.
: #IndyGP on FOX pic.twitter.com/qp2F1R8lq3
Rahal narrowly beats Palou out of the pits for their 2nd of 3 stops.
McLaughlin coming hard for the pair but Herta, who was lapped but the front 2, eeks ahead as he fights to get back on the lead lap.
A lap later, Herta gets Palou to split the front 2.
IndyCar leaderboard at Lap 38
Graham Rahal has gone 128 races without a victory. One today would set an IndyCar record for races between wins. Rahal is approaching Jacob Abel, the last car on the lead lap. Abel can battle to stay on the lead lap, allowing Palou to draw closer.
The gap to the leader is closing
Can @AlexPalou find a way around @GrahamRahal?
: #IndyGP on FOX pic.twitter.com/jtjIvQKw8m
Lap 25: Felix Rosenqvist spins while battling Rinus Veekay.
Felix Rosenqvist goes around. #IndyGP #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/5W8Z8KHoTI
IndyCar leaderboard at Lap 23
After first full round of pit stops:
First stop of the day @GrahamRahal and the No. 15 team elect to switch from the alternates to primaries for stint pic.twitter.com/D9b7wbuWd2
Rahal had a 2.5-second lead over Palou on Lap 15 just before that pit sequence began.
Fewer than 10 laps later as the sequenc has ended, and that’s down to half a second.
Both front 2 cars on new primaries for the 2nd stint. https://t.co/ZaYwjg8C2A
Lap 17: Josef Newgarden, who was sent to the rear of the field for the green flag, is up to 14th from 27th. Devlin DeFrancesco, whose best career finish is 12th is keeping up with Alex Palou.
Lap 15: Colton Herta, Callum Ilott, Marcus Ericsson and Kyffin Simpson are multiple laps behind. Ericsson’s car is heading to the garage for repairs. All the Andretti Global cars (Herta, Ericsson, Kyle Kirkwood) are running 22nd or worse.
That doesn’t sound good @Ericsson_Marcus is OUT with a mechanical issue. pic.twitter.com/hWgKlJtZcT
IndyCar GP leaderboard at Lap 10
RLL has 3 of the top 4 spots. Kyffin Simpson loses 8 laps.
David Malukas gets into the rear of Marcus Ericsson.
Trouble for Marcus Ericsson. #IndyGP #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/k8P41IRmQJ
Green flag on Lap 2: Graham Rahal passes pole sitter Alex Palou in Turns 1 and 2. Colton Herta comes to the pit to replace his front wing.
The #IndyGP is GREEN on FOX! #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/2iBZ6jqjdS
Pre-race issues: Kyffin Simpson has an issue leaving the pits and his crew replaces his steering wheel. Josef Newgarden must start from the rear. The race starts under yellow.
IndyCar at Indianapolis Grand Prix tire choices
Each driver must use two sets of primary tires and two sets of alternates. Here is how they will start.
Here’s the starting lineup for today’s Sonsio Grand Prix
Would appear to me you’ve got the bulk of the front of the field wanting to keep pace early on the faster alternates & the mid-pack perhaps hoping for an early yellow to ditch one of their 2 mandated primary tire sets. pic.twitter.com/18UhT4uvpS
IndyCar at Indianapolis issues in morning warm-up session
Santino Ferrucci blew an engine in the morning warm-up and his team scurried to replace it. Andretti Global’s Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood struggled with mechanical gremlins.
IndyCar qualifying results at Indianapolis road course; Sonsio Grand Prix starting grid
Row 1
2. Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
Row 2
3. Louis Foster, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
4. Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske
Row 3
5. Devlin DeFrancesco, Rahal Letterman Lanigan
6. Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
Row 4
7. Will Power, Team Penske
8. Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren
Row 5
9. Alexander Rossi, Ed Carpenter
10. Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi
Row 6
11. Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt
12. Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank
Row 7
13. Colton Herta, Andretti Global
14. Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren
Row 8
15. Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank
16. Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi
Row 9
17. Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger
18. Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren
Row 10
19. Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter
20. Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global
Row 11
21. Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global
22. Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger
Row 12
23. Callum Ilott, Prema
24. Rinus VeeKay, Dale Coyne
Row 13
25. Jacob Abel, Dale Coyne
26. David Malukas, A.J. Foyt
Row 14
27. Robert Shwartzman, Prema
IndyCar Indianapolis Grand Prix expert picks, predictions
From Nathan Brown, IndyStar
Race winner: Alex Palou. Boring pick? You bet. But until proven otherwise, I’m going to stop picking against the two-time defending series champ who has won three of the first four races – two in truly dominating fashion. Palou has also won the past two IMS road course races, and Chip Ganassi Racing has won the last three.
Palou’s winning margin: We’re adding a category because “race winner” seems too easy. Let’s go with 4 seconds. Odds are we finally get our first caution since Lap 1 at St. Pete, and so what could have been a larger victory is a bit smaller, though plenty comfortable.
Something you might not expect: A yellow flag. We see our first caution in 339 laps, and it comes on Lap 1 as the mid-pack weaves through the opening chicane and can’t stay side-by-side cleanly before reaching the backstretch.
IndyCar Series schedule at Sonsio Grand Prix
(All times ET; all IndyCar sessions are on IndyCar Live, IndyCar Radio and Sirius XM Channel 218)
IndyCar race schedule at Indianapolis today, May 10
11:30 a.m.-noon: IndyCar warm up, FS1
1-2 p.m.: Indy NXT race, FS1
4:30-7 p.m.: IndyCar race, Fox
IndyCar Grand Prix in Indianapolis tickets
General admission tickets are $45 for Saturday; reserved seats start at $55. Get Indianapolis Grand Prix tickets here.
What channel is IndyCar race at Indianapolis on?
TV: Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, May 10, 2025, on Fox. Green flag is scheduled for 4:52 p.m. Will Buxton is the play-by-play voice, with analysts James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell. Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters.
How can I stream the IndyCar Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis today, May 10?
FoxSports.com, Fox Sports app.
Watch with a Fubo free trial
How can I listen to IndyCar race at Indianapolis today, May 10?
IndyCar Nation is on SiriusXM Channel 218, IndyCar Live and the IndyCar Radio Network (check affiliates for each race)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway forecast; will it rain at the Indy Grand Prix?
Saturday: Sunny skies and highs in the mid 70s.
2025 IndyCar Series schedule
The 2025 IndyCar Series schedule includes 17 races, all televised on Fox. (Times are ET; %-downtown street course, &-road course, *-oval)
March 2, St. Petersburg, Florida % (Winner: Alex Palou)
March 23, Thermal, California & (Winner: Alex Palou)
April 13, Long Beach, California % (Winner: Kyle Kirkwood)
May 4, Birmingham, Alabama & (Winner: Alex Palou)
May 10, Indianapolis &, 4:30 p.m.
May 25, Indianapolis 500 *, 12:45 p.m.
June 1, Detroit %, 12:30 p.m.
June 15, St. Louis *, 3 p.m.
June 22, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin &, 2:30 p.m.
July 6, Lexington, Ohio &, 2 p.m.
July 12, Newton, Iowa *, 5 p.m.
July 13, Newton, Iowa *, 2 p.m.
July 20, Toronto %, 2 p.m.
July 27, Monterey, California &, 3 p.m.
Aug. 10, Portland &, 3 p.m.
Aug. 24, Milwaukee *, 2 p.m.
Aug. 31, Nashville *, 2:30 p.m.
IndyCar drivers for 2025
(Team and drivers; *-Indianapolis 500 only)
IndyCar Series 2025 points championship points
(Through four of 17 races)
IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year points
Indianapolis Grand Prix winners; who has won IndyCar races on the Indianapolis road course?
2024: Alex Palou (Indy GP)
2023: Alex Palou (Indy GP), Scott Dixon (Gallagher GP)
2022: Colton Herta (Indy GP), Alexander Rossi (Gallagher GP)
2021: Rinus Veekay (Indy GP), Will Power (Gallagher GP)
2020: Scott Dixon (Indy GP), Josef Newgarden (Harvest GP1), Will Power (Harvest GP2)
2019: Simon Pagenaud (Indy GP)
2018: Will Power (Indy GP)
2017: Will Power (Indy GP)
2016: Simon Pagenaud (Indy GP)
2015: Will Power (Indy GP)
2014: Simon Pagenaud (Indy GP)
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyCar race recap at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today: Not even a caution can stop Alex Palou
Reporting by Scott Horner and Nathan Brown, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
