{"id":1419,"date":"2026-08-31T08:04:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T11:04:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=1419"},"modified":"2026-08-31T08:04:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T11:04:47","slug":"alex-palou-seals-fifth-title-pato-oward-ignites-three-way-battle-for-2026-indycar-runner-up-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/indy\/alex-palou-seals-fifth-title-pato-oward-ignites-three-way-battle-for-2026-indycar-runner-up-spot\/","title":{"rendered":"Palou seals fifth title as O&#8217;Ward ignites three-way battle for 2026 IndyCar runner-up spot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key takeaways<sup><\/sup><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Fifth crown for Palou:<\/strong> <strong>\u00c1lex Palou secured his fifth IndyCar title<\/strong> with a calculated 10th-place finish in Milwaukee Race 1, building an unassailable lead heading into the season finale.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Three-way duel for runner-up:<\/strong> <strong>Christian Lundgaard (506), Kyle Kirkwood (505), and Pato O&#8217;Ward (503) are separated by just three points<\/strong>, leaving the battle for second wide open for Laguna Seca.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Collet&#8217;s uphill battle:<\/strong> <strong>Rookie Caio Collet faces a near-impossible task<\/strong> to secure a Leader&#8217;s Circle spot or Rookie of the Year honours, needing to outscore Dennis Hauger by 31 points.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u00c1lex Palou<\/strong> officially put the <strong>2026 IndyCar Series<\/strong> championship out of reach on Sunday, finishing <strong>10th place<\/strong> in the rescheduled <strong>Milwaukee Race 1<\/strong> to lock up his fifth title in the last six seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Palou&#8217;s relentless consistency has left rivals battling for second place in recent years, the fight for the runner-up spot in the standings has reached fever pitch heading into the season finale at <strong>WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Christian Lundgaard<\/strong> enters the final round holding a slender advantage in <strong>second place with 506 points<\/strong>, following a strong weekend for Arrow McLaren. However, Andretti Global\u2019s <strong>Kyle Kirkwood<\/strong> sits just <strong>one point behind (505 pts)<\/strong>, while <strong>Pato O&#8217;Ward<\/strong> vaulted himself into contention with <strong>503 points<\/strong> after completing a remarkable Sunday doubleheader sweep at Milwaukee. All three drivers control their own destiny in the fight for second place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Further back, <strong>David Malukas<\/strong> remains mathematically in contention in <strong>fifth place with 484 points<\/strong>, though he requires a specific combination of results to climb into the top three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Snap-On-Makers-and-Fixers-250-and-Snap-on-Milwaukee-Mile-250-at-the-Milwaukee-Mile-Sunday_-August-30_-2026_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164408-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1020313396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Snap-On-Makers-and-Fixers-250-and-Snap-on-Milwaukee-Mile-250-at-the-Milwaukee-Mile-Sunday_-August-30_-2026_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164408-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Snap-On-Makers-and-Fixers-250-and-Snap-on-Milwaukee-Mile-250-at-the-Milwaukee-Mile-Sunday_-August-30_-2026_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164408-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Snap-On-Makers-and-Fixers-250-and-Snap-on-Milwaukee-Mile-250-at-the-Milwaukee-Mile-Sunday_-August-30_-2026_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164408-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Snap-On-Makers-and-Fixers-250-and-Snap-on-Milwaukee-Mile-250-at-the-Milwaukee-Mile-Sunday_-August-30_-2026_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164408-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Snap-On-Makers-and-Fixers-250-and-Snap-on-Milwaukee-Mile-250-at-the-Milwaukee-Mile-Sunday_-August-30_-2026_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164408-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Snap-On-Makers-and-Fixers-250-and-Snap-on-Milwaukee-Mile-250-at-the-Milwaukee-Mile-Sunday_-August-30_-2026_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164408-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pato O&#8217;Ward swept both Milwaukee races to jump into the three-way fight for second place (Photo: IndyCar)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>2026 IndyCar Series<\/strong> season concludes next weekend, <strong>September 4\u20136<\/strong>, at <strong>Laguna Seca<\/strong>.<sup><\/sup> <strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/\">GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/a><\/strong> will cover all sessions live. Follow all updates on our <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/news\/\">news page<\/a>.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">IndyCar Series Standings (Top 10 after Milwaukee Race 1)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><td><strong>Pos<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Driver<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Team<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Engine<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Wins<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Podiums<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Points<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Gap<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>1<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>\u00c1lex Palou<\/strong><\/td><td>Chip Ganassi Racing<\/td><td>Honda<\/td><td>6<\/td><td>7<\/td><td><strong>607<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Champion<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>2<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Christian Lundgaard<\/strong><\/td><td>Arrow McLaren<\/td><td>Chevrolet<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>4<\/td><td><strong>506<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>-101<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>3<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Kyle Kirkwood<\/strong><\/td><td>Andretti Global<\/td><td>Honda<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>4<\/td><td><strong>505<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>-102<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>4<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pato O&#8217;Ward<\/strong><\/td><td>Arrow McLaren<\/td><td>Chevrolet<\/td><td>3<\/td><td>2<\/td><td><strong>503<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>-104<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>5<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>David Malukas<\/strong><\/td><td>Team Penske<\/td><td>Chevrolet<\/td><td>0<\/td><td>6<\/td><td><strong>484<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>-123<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>6<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Scott McLaughlin<\/strong><\/td><td>Team Penske<\/td><td>Chevrolet<\/td><td>0<\/td><td>3<\/td><td><strong>428<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>-179<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>7<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Josef Newgarden<\/strong><\/td><td>Team Penske<\/td><td>Chevrolet<\/td><td>2<\/td><td>3<\/td><td><strong>408<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>-199<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>8<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Marcus Ericsson<\/strong><\/td><td>Andretti Global<\/td><td>Honda<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>2<\/td><td><strong>397<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>-210<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>9<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Felix Rosenqvist<\/strong><\/td><td>Meyer Shank Racing<\/td><td>Honda<\/td><td>1<\/td><td>5<\/td><td><strong>379<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>-228<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>10<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Rinus VeeKay<\/strong><\/td><td>Juncos Hollinger Racing<\/td><td>Chevrolet<\/td><td>0<\/td><td>1<\/td><td><strong>365<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>-242<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions (FAQ)<sup><\/sup><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Who won the 2026 IndyCar Series Championship?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u00c1lex Palou<\/strong> won the 2026 IndyCar Series title, earning his fifth championship in the last six seasons for Chip Ganassi Racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. Which drivers are competing for second place in the championship at Laguna Seca?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Christian Lundgaard (506 pts)<\/strong>, <strong>Kyle Kirkwood (505 pts)<\/strong>, and <strong>Pato O&#8217;Ward (503 pts)<\/strong> are separated by just three points in the fight for the runner-up position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. When is the final race of the 2026 IndyCar Series season?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The season finale takes place from <strong>September 4\u20136, 2026<\/strong>, at <strong>WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca<\/strong>.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While \u00c1lex Palou wrapped up his fifth IndyCar championship in six years, Christian Lundgaard, Kyle Kirkwood, and Pato O&#8217;Ward enter the Laguna Seca finale separated by just three points in the fight for second place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020313440,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"\u00c1lex Palou secured his fifth IndyCar title with a calculated 10th-place finish in Milwaukee Race 1","42wp_featured_image_credits":"IndyCar","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_ai_content_disclaimer":"","42wp_is_ai_content":false,"42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[],"footnotes":"","42wp_hide_from_automatic":false,"42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[27,9,110],"42wp_author":[14],"class_list":["post-1419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indy","tag-alex-palou","tag-indycar","tag-pato-oward","42wp_author-daniel-balsa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1419"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1420,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1419\/revisions\/1420"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020313440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1419"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=1419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}