Three-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou feels his CV is incomplete without a victory in the Indianapolis 500.
The Spaniard won his second consecutive IndyCar title in 2024, becoming the first driver to defend their crown since fellow Chip Ganassi Racing driver Dario Franchitti in 2011.
Now Palou, who won his maiden title in 2021 before losing out to Will Power in 2022, is anxious to cement his growing legacy by conquering IndyCar's most prestigious race.
Speaking to Autosport, the 27-year-old said: “You cannot be an amazing IndyCar driver without winning the Indy 500, for sure.
“I would say winning it multiple times, it’s really tough just because it doesn’t depend only on you.
“But winning it one time with the team I have run has to be done. I don’t need to do it next year or the following one; I have a lot of years to do it.”
While yet to win a race on an oval, Palou finished runner-up in the 2021 edition of the Indy 500 after leading the second-most laps (35). He also captured the pole for the 2023 event. In his five Indy 500 starts, he has led in four of them for a total of 119 laps.
Palou accepts that winning at the Brickyard will be a tough feat, after witnessing team-mate Scott Dixon's lengthy wait to win his second Indy 500.
The six-time series champion has finished runner-up three times, taken five poles and led 677 laps (most all-time) but has not won the the crown jewel event since 2008.
“Dixon, it’s wild that he only has one, but that’s how it goes,” Palou said.
“And he’s the best IndyCar driver we’ve had in, I would say, almost ever.
“Hopefully, I can win it someday. But, yes, I don’t think the job is complete until we win an Indy 500, which would mean that I won on an oval as well.”
Reflecting on what has been achieved in only five seasons in IndyCar, having made his debut with Dale Coyne Racing in 2020, Palou said he isn’t thinking about how much higher the ceiling can go.
“It’s really tough to win one championship,” Palou said. “It’s tougher to win two. And it’s tougher, tougher to win three.
“It just becomes more difficult every time, even if it seems that we’re halfway to six, we are a long, long way.
“I don’t know where is the limit. I’m pretty sure that with this team and with the work that they put in and what I want to put in, we can keep on winning and fighting for championships.
“Yes, I want to win eight, but I’m focused on next year. I don’t try and win eight and that’s my goal.
Palou joked that “I’m not thinking about anything else than that just to be able to make fun of Dario” by matching his run of three consecutive titles in 2025, the first full season with hybrid which was adopted midway through the 2024 campaign.
