Key takeaways
- Disastrous afternoon from pole: After securing an impressive pole position, Álex Palou endured a nightmare GP of Washington, finishing 20th after a series of pit-lane issues and a late crash.
- Costly pit incident & mechanical failure: A pit-lane penalty for striking Mick Schumacher’s tire was followed by a slow pit stop and a rear suspension toe-link failure, causing Palou to spin into the wall.
- Championship lead reduced: Palou saw his point advantage over race winner Kyle Kirkwood cut from 133 to 91 points with two races remaining in the 2026 IndyCar season.
Álex Palou endured one of the worst outings of his career at the IndyCar Grand Prix of Washington on Sunday (23). After securing an impressive pole position, the Spanish driver lost the lead in turn one and entered a downward spiral following his first pit stop, completing a sequence of mishaps that left him 20th at the 15th round of the season.
Palou struck a tire belonging to Mick Schumacher while exiting his pit box, earning a drive-through penalty that dropped him to the rear of the field. In an attempt to recover lost ground, Chip Ganassi Racing altered his strategy, but a delayed front-left tire change lengthened his subsequent pit stop even further.
To make matters worse, Palou reported touching the wall during the closing stint of the race, causing damage to his suspension. The compromised rear toe-link eventually snapped 20 laps later, causing the Spaniard to spin out and hit the barrier, triggering a caution flag. Beyond missing out on the chance to secure the championship title early in Washington, the driver of car #10 watched Kyle Kirkwood dominate the race and trim his points advantage from 133 to 91 points.
“It was one of those races where I really wanted to do well, I wanted to take the win, so it hurts a lot that we had such a bad day, but it’s okay. These things happen. At least I’m somewhat glad it all happened on the same day instead of being spread across different races. We had a couple of issues in the pit lane. One was my fault. The other was out of my control,” Palou said.
“Something also happened on track and I ended up touching the wall. After 20 laps, the rear suspension toe-link broke, and that was why I spun. It wasn’t a good day, but that’s fine,” Palou added.
“It was one of those bad days where, as soon as you get into a bad situation, you’re out of contention. Now it’s 91 points, so you can never be completely comfortable until everything is sealed. Today hurts more because of this specific race than for the championship. I think the good margin of points we had is great for a day like today, precisely so we can focus on Milwaukee now and try to win,” he concluded.
IndyCar returns this coming weekend with a double-header on the 1-mile oval at Milwaukee—rounds 16 and 17 of the 2026 season—located in West Allis, Wisconsin. GRANDE PRÊMIO provides full coverage of the event. Follow all updates on our news page.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1. Why was Álex Palou penalized during the IndyCar GP of Washington?
Álex Palou received a drive-through penalty for unsafely exiting his pit box and striking an unattended tire belonging to Mick Schumacher’s crew.
2. What caused Álex Palou to crash late in the race?
A minor wall contact earlier in the stint damaged the rear suspension toe-link on Palou’s car, which snapped 20 laps later and sent him into a spin.
3. What is Álex Palou’s championship lead after the Washington race?
Palou’s lead over Kyle Kirkwood was reduced from 133 points to 91 points heading into the Milwaukee double-header.
