Motorsport TechnologyAlex Palou outlined exactly why he is the man to beat in 2026 by winning the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Palou, the reigning champion and a four times IndyCar champion, has got off to a flyer this season, winning in St. Petersburg and Barber Motorsports Park.
But this was his first victory at the historic Long Beach circuit, extending his lead to 17 points over Kyle Kirkwood, who finished fourth behind Felix Rosenqvist and IndyCar legend Scott Dixon.
“It’s huge,” Palou is quoted on IndyCar.com. “Super proud of everybody’s job but especially this crew. Incredible to finally win here at Long Beach.
“The OpenAI car was super, super fast, but it was that yellow, that pit stop with all the pressure that these boys were able to do it and execute it perfectly.
“From there, it was just managing the tires. We didn’t know how the primaries were going to be.”
It could have been very different, and second placed Rosenqvist can certainly feel a little aggrieved that a caution on lap 57 changed the complexion of the race.
At the time, the Swede held the race lead, but the caution played into the hands of the Spaniard.
It meant the field could pit for a splash of fuel and tires. And then it came down to the speed of the pit crew. Palou’s team made the difference, getting him back out on track a second ahead.
A new milestone added to Alex Palou’s list ✍️
Hear his reaction after winning at Long Beach. pic.twitter.com/SbvWvRU507
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) April 20, 2026
“A little bit of a bittersweet race,” reflected Rosenqvist. “I lost a little bit on the stop. Alex is obviously going to be 10 out of 10 almost every stop, so I don’t think it was necessarily that our one was slow, but they probably had a great one, as well. That’s how it goes.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got to celebrate this one. P2, plus the points and podium – that’s where I want to be.”
Racing resumes on May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the 110th running of the famous Indianapolis 500.
