• The road to the top of Palou "From very early on he stopped thinking about F1"

  • Interview "There are pilots older than my father"

Alex Palou

confirmed the forecasts in Long Beach to be proclaimed champion of the IndyCar, the second most prestigious category in the motor world. The 24-year-old Chip Ganassi driver finished the final race of the championship in fourth position, after benefiting from the accident of

Pato O'Ward

(Arrow-McLaren), the only rival who could snatch the glory. In this way, Palou follows in the wake of

Fernando Alonso

, the other great pioneer of the Spanish motor, two-time F1 world champion and double winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the legendary endurance test also in the record of

Marc Gené

.

The dangers that lurked in the urban layout of Long Beach, where he had never competed, did not daunt the Barcelona man, who was able to benefit from O'Ward's misfortune. The Mexican, after an attack by

Ed Jones

(Dale Coyne Racing) suffered severe damage to the gearbox and the right rear suspension of his car. "I can not do anything," he admitted on the radio, shortly before pointing out who was responsible for the incident. "This is not the first time Ed has done this kind of stupid thing," he pointed out with notorious outrage.

O'Ward, who had started eighth on the grid, needed the win and as many laps as possible in the lead to make up for his 35-point deficit over Palou.

The Spaniard, from tenth place, started with the red tire, the softest in the range available and also pending

Josef Newgarden

(Team Penske), the other adversary who had some minimal option of snatching the title from him.

However, the options of the American did not take long to disappear before the push of

Colton Herta

.

Herta's rhythm

The Andretti Autosport driver, who in 2019 became the youngest to win an IndyCar event, had also

defeated

the risky strategy of veteran

Helio Castroneves

(Meyer Shank Racing), the last winner of the Indianapolis 500. As Herta rode to the checkered flag, holding a brutal 1:09 pace on hard tires, in Chip Ganassi's garage the minutes were counted to burst with joy.

Before the watchful eye of Ramón, his father, Palou rolled with total poise, avoiding any setback.

"I have some understeer in high-speed corners. I think the front wing setup is just right for the hard tires," Alex radioed before moving on to change his wheels.

The 85 laps were simply the countdown to a sung success.

Sixteenth-century champion

Scott Dixon

(Chip Ganassi) accompanied Newgarden and Herta on the podium, but it was Palou who savored the glory at Long Beach.

Crushing regularity

Its superiority throughout the 16 races, distributed in just 23 weeks, has been reflected in three victories (Barber, Road America and Portland), eight podiums and only two abandonments (failure in the Indianapolis GP 2 and accident in Gateway ). Of course, his fondest memory is his comeback in Portland, as after suffering a controversial penalty, he managed to pass Dixon and Newgarden with a couple of spectacular maneuvers. Nor could any fan miss his second place in the Indianapolis 500, when he led for 35 laps.

Palou is the standard bearer of a new generation where O'Ward, 22, Herta and the Dutch

Rinus VeeKay

, both 21

, also shine.

The responsibility of reviving this show, which has been stagnant for almost a decade, rests on the shoulders of all of them. .

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