Reigning IndyCar Series champion Álex Palou has admitted he “never felt safe” during the Grand Prix of Arlington, despite at one stage appearing firmly in control of the race.
The Spaniard ultimately finished second at the new street circuit in Arlington, Texas, surrendering victory to Kyle Kirkwood after a dramatic late-race charge from the Andretti Global driver.
Early Control, Growing Pressure
Driving the No. 10 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing, Palou adopted the preferred three-stop strategy and assumed control of the race after his first pit stop on Lap 16 of 70. From there, he steadily built a commanding advantage, stretching his lead to over seven seconds ahead of pole-sitter Marcus Ericsson.
At that stage, the race appeared to be slipping comfortably into Palou’s grasp. However, the complexion of the contest shifted when Kirkwood began to emerge as a serious threat. After passing his team-mate, the American driver rapidly closed the gap, consistently lapping several tenths quicker than the leader.
Strategy Battle Intensifies
The strategic complexity of the race increased further when Palou encountered Will Power, who was leading on an alternative two-stop strategy. With approximately 27 laps remaining, Palou was forced to balance chasing down Power while simultaneously defending against the charging Kirkwood behind.
When Power pitted on Lap 46, Palou and Kirkwood responded shortly afterwards, executing a well-timed overcut to leap ahead. From that moment, the race evolved into a direct duel between the two.
Kirkwood’s pace advantage soon became evident. Running a lower-downforce set-up—often described by drivers as being more “trimmed out”—his car proved significantly faster on Arlington’s long straights, including the circuit’s 0.95-mile backstretch.
Decisive Overtake
With 16 laps remaining, Kirkwood closed to within striking distance. Despite Palou’s defensive efforts, including deploying his hybrid overtake system, the Andretti driver launched a decisive move.
“I defended into Turn 10,” Palou explained. “But he was gaining a lot on the straights. Out of Turn 12, I used everything I had, but he was already very close. He went for it into Turn 14—it was a clean pass.”
Once ahead, Kirkwood quickly built a gap of two seconds, extending it to approximately five seconds before a late caution neutralised the race. Although the restart briefly offered Palou an opportunity to respond, another caution brought proceedings to an early conclusion, confirming his second-place finish.
“Never Felt Safe”
Despite his early dominance, Palou revealed that the race never felt secure from inside the cockpit.
“No,” he said when asked if he ever felt in control. “I was dealing with Will on a different strategy, and that was already tough. Then I saw Kyle closing—half a second per lap at times.”
Palou also highlighted the impact of differing car set-ups.
“They were very quick on the straights,” he noted. “We were stronger in the corners, but I couldn’t really use that advantage. It was just the way we set the car up.”
Key Race Comparison
| Category | Álex Palou | Kyle Kirkwood |
|---|---|---|
| Team | Chip Ganassi Racing | Andretti Global |
| Strategy | Three-stop | Three-stop |
| Laps Led | 16 | — |
| Peak Gap | +7 seconds lead | Closed gap rapidly |
| Key Strength | Cornering speed | Straight-line speed |
| Finish | 2nd | 1st |
While second place represents another strong result for the reigning champion, Palou’s comments underline just how competitive the field has become. Even with a significant lead, the margin for error remains razor-thin—particularly on a circuit as demanding and strategically complex as Arlington.
