At some point, we have to stop calling Alex Palou the next great IndyCar driver and start asking a much bigger question: Is he already on his way to being the greatest ever?
Palou just captured his fifth IndyCar championship, his fourth consecutive title, putting him firmly among the sport’s all-time elite. Only A.J. Foyt’s seven championships and Scott Dixon’s six now stand ahead of him.
And he’s only 29.
That’s the scary part.
Palou didn’t go back-to-back at the Indianapolis 500 this year, but he did something almost as impressive: He put the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda on the pole for the second time in his career, becoming the first reigning 500 winner to take the pole since 2010.
He already has the championships. He has the 500. He has the consistency. He has the qualifying speed. And now he’s building the longevity required to put himself in the same sentence as Foyt, Dixon, Mario Andretti and the other giants of American open-wheel racing.
But there’s another reason to appreciate Palou.
He’s staying.
In an era when the biggest stars can chase Formula 1 dreams or jump between series, Palou has continued building his legacy in IndyCar.
Give him a few more years.
We might be looking at the GOAT.