Alex Palou secured his second consecutive race victory of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season at The Thermal Club GP, staging a remarkable late-race charge to overtake Pato O’Ward, who had dominated from pole position for most of the event.
The exclusive club track hosted its first points-paying IndyCar round, delivering a strategic battle that ultimately favoured fresh tyres over track position in the closing stages.
O’Ward’s Arrow McLaren Chevrolet appeared unbeatable for much of the race, but Palou’s decision to switch to fresh soft compound tyres for the final stint proved decisive. The Spaniard’s car came alive on the new rubber, allowing him to hunt down O’Ward at a rate exceeding one second per lap before making a relatively straightforward pass with ten laps remaining.
By the chequered flag, Palou had stretched his advantage to a commanding ten seconds—a full straight ahead of O’Ward on the road. The victory gives the two-time defending champion an ominous early lead in the 2025 points standings.
O’Ward, visibly disappointed with second place, was left wondering what strategy might finally allow him to defeat his seemingly unstoppable rival.
Denmark’s Christian Lundgaard completed the podium after starting from the front row. He engaged in a spirited battle with Palou in the closing laps, with multiple corners spent side-by-side before ultimately yielding to the charging champion. Colton Herta and Felix Rosenqvist rounded out the top five for Andretti Global and Meyer Shank Racing, respectively.
Tyre management proved crucial throughout the caution-free race, with the abrasive track surface causing accelerated degradation of the Firestone rubber. Most competitors completed four pit stops, though nearly everyone was forced to run at least one set of used tyres as supplies dwindled by weekend’s end.
Charging through the Thermal Club GP
Team Penske drivers recovered admirably from disappointing qualifying positions. Will Power demonstrated the most impressive pace on Sunday, advancing from 21st to finish sixth. Josef Newgarden also made progress, bringing his #2 Chevrolet home in 13th position.
Scott McLaughlin endured a more challenging day, spinning before the green flag after contact with Devlin DeFrancesco. Though he recovered initially, hybrid overheating issues forced him to pit on lap 20. He returned briefly before ultimately retiring, finishing last in 27th position.
PREMA Racing’s difficult weekend continued into Sunday. Callum Ilott collided with teammate Robert Shwartzman on the opening lap, sending Ilott’s car airborne and damaging his front wing. The early pit stop relegated him to 26th place, one lap down. Shwartzman’s car escaped damage, but pit stop issues hampered his progress, resulting in a 22nd-place finish.
Technical difficulties unrelated to the on-track action affected television coverage, as a power issue at the facility knocked out the FOX broadcast feed for 12 of the 65 laps. The internal feed used by on-site journalists was similarly impacted, with images returning shortly before the final pit stop period.
Full Results: IndyCar Thermal Club GP
- Palou
- O’Ward
- Lundgaard
- Herta
- Rosenqvist
- Power
- Armstrong
- Kirkwood
- Rossi
- Dixon
- Rahal
- Rasmussen
- Newgarden
- Ferrucci
- Simpson
- Daly
- VeeKay
- Malukas
- Siegel
- DeFrancesco
- Ericsson
- Shwartzman
- Robb
- Foster
- Abel
- Ilott
- McLaughlin
