Alex Palou Caps Historic IndyCar Season With Fifth Championship

The 2026 IndyCar season has officially come to an end, and once again, Alex Palou stands on top.

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver captured his fifth IndyCar championship in six seasons, continuing one of the most dominant stretches in modern open-wheel racing. Palou finished the season with six victories, eight poles, 12 top-five finishes and 15 top-10s, putting together another remarkable campaign.

Palou Starts the Year Strong

Palou wasted little time reminding the field why he entered the season as the favorite.

He opened the year with a dominant victory at St. Petersburg, using strategy and tire management to take control of the race and immediately establish himself as one of the championship favorites.

Throughout the opening portion of the season, Palou consistently found himself near the front, even when he didn’t have the fastest car on the track.

That consistency became one of the biggest stories of his championship run.

A Season Full of Competition

While Palou ultimately separated himself from the field, the 2026 season was far from a runaway every weekend.

Drivers including Kyle Kirkwood, Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard, Scott McLaughlin and David Malukas all produced major performances throughout the year.

Kirkwood emerged as Palou’s biggest championship challenger. The Andretti driver finished second in the final standings with 545 points, while Lundgaard finished third and O’Ward fourth. Team Penske’s Malukas rounded out the top five.

The Milwaukee Championship Moment

Palou officially secured the championship at the Milwaukee Mile.

He finished 10th in the rain-delayed race, which was enough to mathematically clinch his fourth consecutive championship and fifth overall. The achievement tied the record for four straight IndyCar titles and further cemented Palou’s place among the sport’s greatest drivers.

The championship was already decided heading into the season finale at Laguna Seca, but there was still plenty of drama left.

McLaughlin Ends the Season on Top

Scott McLaughlin delivered one of the biggest performances of the final weekend.

Starting from pole, McLaughlin dominated the Laguna Seca finale, leading 87 of the race’s 95 laps and earning his first victory since 2024. Kyle Kirkwood finished second, securing the runner-up position in the championship, while Alexander Rossi completed the podium.

Palou finished eighth after struggling with his tire strategy, but the result ultimately didn’t matter for his championship hopes.

Another Chapter in the Palou Era

The 2026 season was another reminder of just how difficult Palou has become to beat over an entire championship campaign.

Six wins, eight poles and five championships in six seasons tell the story better than anything else.

The competition continues to get stronger, but Palou keeps finding ways to finish at the top.

The 2026 IndyCar season belonged to Alex Palou once again. Five championships in six years has officially made the Chip Ganassi Racing star one of the defining drivers of his generation and the biggest question heading into 2027 is simple: Who can finally stop him?