A stunning qualifying effort at Portland gave Palou fifth (fourth on the grid after Josef Newgarden’s penalty) and he was the only Ganassi driver in the top 15. But his race turned sour when he felt something “not right” at the rear of the #10 car, and a disappointing 12th place finish dropped him out of contention.
Dixon’s charge from 16th to third, by contrast, means he arrives at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for IndyCar’s season finale as Ganassi’s best hope of landing its 15th drivers’ championship, 20 points behind Team Penske’s leader in the title race, Will Power. While teammates can normally be expected to act as wingmen in such circumstances, Palou has signed an agreement to join McLaren next year – a matter currently in the hands of lawyers.
