Alex Palou takes top spot in first-ever Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix
THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) - History was made Sunday as Alex Palou won the inaugural Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix.
Palou, widely regarded as the best driver on the circuit, is a three-time IndyCar series champion, who also won the $1 Million Challenge last March at the Thermal Club.
Palou earned his 13th career victory in the No. 10 DHL Honda Chip Ganassi Racing car, beating O’Ward’s No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet to the finish by 10.1854 seconds. Christian Lundgaard finished third in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet as the team captured two of the three podium positions for the first time since May 2023.
“What an amazing weekend,” said Palou, who started third. “We had a really fast car since practice, and everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing on the 10 car executed perfectly. We knew it was aggressive to start with the used reds (alternate tires), and we knew that we were looking toward the end of the race with that 10 car, and we did it.”
The Palou show rolls on!
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) March 23, 2025@AlexPalou starts the 2025 season going back-to-back at Thermal! pic.twitter.com/Z4m5tGxcUU
Sports Director Blake Arthur got an exlcusive one-on-one interview with Palou following his victory in the Coachella Valley.
Post race interview with @TheThermalClub @IndyCar Grand Prix champion @AlexPalou. With his desert victory, Palou has won the first two events of the 2025 season. The 3-time IndyCar Series champion is the real deal! @KESQ pic.twitter.com/R0ZcKjtxpK
— Blake Arthur (@BlakeArthur24) March 23, 2025
Click HERE for full race results of the 2025 Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix.
WINNERS AT THERMAL!!
— Alex Palou Montalbo (@AlexPalou) March 23, 2025
LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!pic.twitter.com/qCdgdgwkLb
Arrow McLaren drivers Pato O'Ward and Christian Lundgaard were 1-2 for most of the race until Palou passed them and ultimately held on for the victory.
“We took a gamble; it didn’t work out for us,” O’Ward said. “We had used our new reds (alternate tires) at the start because we didn’t really quite know what the deg (tire degradation) was going to be like. The blacks (primary tires) really kind of took a turn for the negative at the end of the race, and that was it. We didn’t stand a fighting chance.”
The McLaren drivers didn't take first but both made the podium, finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively.
STILL the driver to beat
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) March 23, 2025
What a victory for @AlexPalou! pic.twitter.com/sw7MahFHz4
O'Ward said before the race on Friday that the podium should be drivers and strategists, understanding this race was going to be a challenge to manage.
"This place is a cheese grater for tires."
— Blake Arthur (@BlakeArthur24) March 21, 2025@ArrowMcLaren driver @PatricioOWard on the track here at the Thermal Club for the inaugural @IndyCar Grand Prix this Sunday. Tire degradation is a major topic amongst the teams. @KESQ pic.twitter.com/xRUgtLj7h1
The Spanish superstar driver Palou has won back-to-back events to start the 2025 season.
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) March 23, 2025
Checkered Flag Top 10
Palou
O'Ward
Lundgaard
Herta
The 2025 Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix was the first race of its kind in the Coachella Valley.
