Honestly, if you had told anyone at the start of the 2025 season that Alex Palou would finally conquer the Brickyard, they probably would’ve just nodded. It felt inevitable. But the way it actually went down? That was something else entirely. Palou didn't just win; he basically put a stamp on one of the most dominant seasons we’ve seen in modern open-wheel racing.
He won. He drank the milk. He finally got his face on that massive silver trophy.
For a guy who has spent the last few years making the rest of the NTT IndyCar Series look like they're playing on "easy" mode while he's on "legendary," the Indy 500 was the one major box left unchecked. He’d come close before—remember that heartbreaker in 2021 against Helio Castroneves? This time, there was no veteran magic to stop him. Palou drove the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda into Victory Lane, marking the sixth time a Ganassi car has taken the checkers at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
Alex Palou: Why the Win Was Basically Destiny
It wasn't just a win. It was a statement. By the time the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 rolled around on May 25, 2025, Palou was already on a tear. He had won four of the first five races of the season.
Insane.
Most drivers hope for one or two wins a year; Palou was treating the podium like his personal living room. Coming into the 500, he held a massive 97-point lead in the championship. When he took the lead on lap 187, you could almost feel the collective "here we go" from the 350,000 fans in the stands. He held off a charging Marcus Ericsson—who eventually got hit with a post-race technical disqualification—to secure the win.
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Wait, let's talk about that DQ for a second because it changed the whole look of the podium.
The Post-Race Drama You Might Have Missed
Initially, the top of the board looked like a Honda celebration. Marcus Ericsson finished second, and Kyle Kirkwood was sixth. But then the tech inspectors got their tools out. Ericsson, Kirkwood, and Callum Ilott all failed post-race inspection.
Ouch.
Because of those disqualifications, the official results shifted significantly. David Malukas, driving for A.J. Foyt Racing, was elevated to second place. Pato O'Ward, who seems to have a permanent residence in the top three without ever quite reaching the top step, was moved up to third. It was a weird, quiet ending to a very loud day, but it didn't change the fact that Palou was the undisputed king of the afternoon.
What Happened to the Three-Peat?
Everyone was watching Josef Newgarden. Everyone. He was trying to do what no one in the history of the sport has ever done: win three Indy 500s in a row.
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He didn't.
Newgarden’s day was a bit of a disaster, honestly. Team Penske, usually the gold standard at IMS, had a month they’d probably like to delete from their hard drives. Newgarden dropped out with mechanical issues, Scott McLaughlin crashed before the green flag even waved (which is just painful to watch), and Will Power finished a lap down in 16th. It was their worst collective showing since the early '90s.
The Rookie Who Almost Stole the Show
If Palou was the hero, Robert Shwartzman was the surprise guest who nearly took over the party. The Prema Racing rookie took the pole with a blistering 232.790 mph average.
He was the first rookie to take the pole since Teo Fabi back in 1983. Think about that. Decades of legends have come through Indy, and a kid from Prema comes in and sweeps the front row. He led the first eight laps, but a nightmare pit lane mishap eventually ended his dream debut. Still, he walked away with Rookie of the Year honors, and rightfully so.
Kyle Larson and the Double Duty Curse
Then there was Kyle Larson. The NASCAR star was back for his second attempt at "The Double"—racing the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on the same day.
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2024 was a rain-soaked mess for him. 2025 was just... a mess. Larson was running well until lap 92, when he got caught up in a multi-car wreck that ended his day in Indy. He still flew to Charlotte, and get this: even though he crashed there too, he went on to win the NASCAR Cup Series Championship later that year. He’s the first person to ever race the 500 and win the NASCAR title in the same calendar year. Not a bad consolation prize.
Quick Look at the Final (Official) Top 5
- Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing)
- David Malukas (A.J. Foyt Enterprises)
- Pato O'Ward (Arrow McLaren)
- Felix Rosenqvist (Meyer Shank Racing)
- Takuma Sato (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing)
Note: Takuma Sato actually led the most laps (51), proving that even at 48 years old, the guy is still a rocket ship.
Why This Win Matters for the History Books
Palou joining the winner's circle is a big deal for international racing. He’s the first Spaniard to ever win the race. Beyond the national pride, he became the first driver since Dario Franchitti in 2010 to win the Indy 500 and the series championship in the same season.
He ended the 2025 season with eight wins. Eight. That's a "golden era" level of performance.
So, if you're looking for the short answer to who won the Indianapolis 500 this year, it's Alex Palou. But the long answer involves a rookie on the pole, a legendary team falling apart, and a post-race inspection that shuffled the podium like a deck of cards.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch the Replay: If you missed the final 15 laps, go find the highlights. The battle between Palou and the (briefly) second-place Ericsson was a masterclass in defensive driving at 220 mph.
- Check the 2026 Schedule: With Will Power moving to Andretti Global for the 2026 season, the chemistry at the front of the grid is going to be completely different.
- Follow the Tech: Keep an eye on the technical bulletins from IndyCar; the 2025 DQs were a reminder that the race isn't actually over until the cars are weighed and measured.