We've Got An IndyCar Championship Battle Between Alex Palou And Pato O'Ward... Sort Of
O'Ward will need a lot to go his way in the final four races
There are just four rounds left in the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season, and despite Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou having one of the best campaigns the sport has ever seen, we still have a battle for the championship.
Kind of.
Going into the weekend, Palou had a 99-point lead on McLaren's Pato O'Ward, which sounds like a lot — because it is — but that total is the result of a 30-point swing that came at the last race in Toronto.
So, it's possible for O'Ward to pull off a come-from-behind championship win for the ages, but it'll be tough, and the first step toward pulling off this miracle would be qualifying well for the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey at the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
O'Ward managed to get his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet through the first two rounds of qualifying, and the same goes for Palou and his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, which put them in the Fast 6 to battle for pole with Team Penske's Will Power and Joseph Newgarden, AJ FOyt Racing's David Maulkas, and Andretti Global's Colton Herta.
The Penske drivers and Malukas seemed not to have the pace to hang with O'Ward, Palou, and Herta, which made it more or less a three-dog fight for pole.
O'Ward was on provisional pole after his first lap, but was soon beaten by a few tenths of a second by Palou.
The Mexican-born McLaren driver did one last flying lap, but by that point, he had used up what was left of his tires and had to settle for a second-place start.
Which is, of course, great… if only the guy he's chasing for the championship hadn't wound up on pole.
Pato O'Ward is giving Alex Palou a championship battle, but the Arrow McLAren driver will need a few bounces to go his way. (Getty Images)
Winning pole also earns Palou a bonus point, extending his lead to 100 points, and making O'Ward's championship bid that much tougher.
But anything can happen. If Palou crashes or has a technical issue, O'Ward could capitalize.
Palou — while typically bulletproof — has made some unforced errors over the last few races, including one that cost him a win to teammate Scott Dixon at Mid-Ohio. In qualifying, Palou had a minor off as well, but was able to save it.
All I'm saying is, this thing ain't over yet… but, if O'Ward can't leave Laguna Seca with a substantial points swing in his favor, it may as well be.