March 1, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chip Ganassi Racing driver Alex Palou, 10, stands on the podium after winning the NTT IndyCar Series at the Firestone Grand Prix on the streets of St. Petersburg. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images Alex Palou fired off the 2026 start line with a landslide victory Sunday at the Firestone Grand Prix in St. Petersburg, Florida, with the same dominance he showed in 2025.
The Spaniard continued the tradition of sporting control he firmly established in 2025 with a championship margin of 196 points, beating his next competitor, New Zealand’s Scott McLaughlin, by almost 12.5 seconds (12.4948).
Palou said his no. “This team continues to evolve, continues to make new changes and continues to raise the bar,” said Chip Ganassi Racing of No. 10 DHL after leading Honda to the checkered flag. “It’s very impressive. We have a long season ahead of us, but it’s a really good way to start the season.”
As the overwhelming winners of the event, Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing took some time to take the lead on lap 42 of the 100 laps. But this cautious approach has paid off, and Palou sees his team’s approach to the new tire regulations as key.
“That Firestone seemed like it would last forever.” Palou said. “They just keep going. They had an amazing car today.”
Indy Car regulations require the use of at least two sets of Firestone Firehawk replacement tires (softer tires) with red sidewalls. These changes did not have a negative impact on Palou, who nevertheless opted for traditional harder tires for the final leg.
McLaughlin competed with Denmark’s Christian Lundgaard and Kyle Kirkwood over the final 10 laps, with McLaughlin and Lundgaard edging out Kirkwood for second and third, respectively. Kirkwood finished fourth and Mexico’s Pato O’Ward rounded out the top five.
–Field level media
