Palou clinches fifth IndyCar title, tying consecutive wins record

Alex Palou secured his fifth IndyCar championship on August 30, 2026, clinching the title with a 10th-place finish in the resumption of a rain-delayed race at The Milwaukee Mile. The 29-year-old Spaniard from Barcelona became the youngest driver in series history to win five championships, adding a record-tying fourth consecutive crown to his resume.

Palou entered the weekend with a substantial points lead over rival Kyle Kirkwood. After the first race of the doubleheader was suspended due to rain on Saturday, the event resumed on Sunday evening. Despite a challenging race where he struggled with pace and traffic, Palou's finish was sufficient to mathematically secure the championship with one race remaining in the season. "I'm just so proud of this team. Today was a really bad race for us," Palou said. "We were suffering all the time. I was just like, 'Just keep focus. Keep on going.' Anyway, it was great, man. Great to have another championship."

His four consecutive titles match the record set by Sébastien Bourdais from 2004 to 2007. Palou now trails only A.J. Foyt, who has seven championships, and his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon, who has six. The victory also...