Alex Palou Wins Long Beach Grand Prix to Take INDYCAR Points Lead

Long Beach, California — Alex Palou secured his first victory at the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, adding a significant milestone to his résumé in the NTT IndyCar Series. The Spaniard, driving the No. 10 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing, won by nearly four seconds over Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing, claiming his 22nd career IndyCar win and moving into the series points lead.

The win marked Palou’s third triumph in the first five races of the 2026 season and his 11th in the last 22 events. Starting from third on the grid, Palou quickly advanced past Pato O’Ward for second position before taking the lead during the race’s sole caution period. A faster pit stop compared to pole-sitter Rosenqvist allowed Palou to assume the front position, after which he maintained flawless execution to the finish.

“Every win is so special,” Palou said in his post-race press conference. “Obviously, the Indy 500 is always going to stay up top. This probably ranks top-three. It’s super, super cool. But we’ve been so lucky to have so much success.” He emphasized that his team does not take their current success for granted, responding to perceptions that their performance is expected: “People think that we are not surprised of being here. We don’t take it for [granted].”

The victory elevated Palou to the top of the IndyCar standings with a 17-point lead over Kyle Kirkwood, who had entered the race as the points leader. Kirkwood, driving for Andretti Global, started fourth and finished fourth, unable to advance despite multiple attempts. He cited a lack of traction on the temporary street circuit as a limiting factor: “It was just so hard to pass on this track. You just get close and then you don’t have enough traction to make a move.”

Rosenqvist, who had not recorded a top-10 finish earlier in the 2026 season, expressed mixed emotions about his second-place result. While acknowledging it as his best performance of the year, he lamented missing a chance to win: “I had such a poor start to the year, so I was always going to take a podium. It’s very rare that you have a race like that, pace like that. I don’t honestly think I’ve ever had that. It’s a little bit disappointing when you cannot wrap it up.” He believed he could have held off Palou in the final laps had it not been for a slower pit stop.

Scott Dixon, a six-time IndyCar champion who started sixth and finished third, noted that the disjointed opening laps were characteristic of Long Beach. “It was very Long Beach-esque,” Dixon said. “It just always is. It’s hard, especially if you’re fourth through eighth or 10th, if you catch the front two rows at the wrong spot, you have to brake and everybody behind you is accelerating.”

The race featured an unusual start, with the front rows quickly falling out of double-file formation as the green flag waved. This phenomenon, while appearing irregular, is typical at the temporary circuit due to varying acceleration and braking points among drivers navigating the tight, bumpy layout.

With the Grand Prix of Long Beach complete, the IndyCar series now turns its focus toward May. Two weekends of rest precede the next race, scheduled for May 9 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. However, teams will return to action sooner for Indianapolis 500 preparations, with all drivers participating in testing on April 28–29. That session will be critical as teams finalize setups for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” which Palou won in 2025.