{"id":1962,"date":"2026-09-09T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=1962"},"modified":"2026-09-09T11:54:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T14:54:45","slug":"palou-rejects-leadership-role-at-ganassi-after-dixons-mclaren-move","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/indy\/palou-rejects-leadership-role-at-ganassi-after-dixons-mclaren-move\/","title":{"rendered":"Palou rejects leadership role at Ganassi after Dixon\u2019s McLaren move"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00c1lex Palou rejected the idea of becoming Chip Ganassi Racing\u2019s leader after Scott Dixon\u2019s departure for McLaren.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The five-time IndyCar champion said every driver has an equal voice and that Ganassi\u2019s working philosophy should remain unchanged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Palou joined Ganassi in 2021 and immediately won the IndyCar title, establishing himself as the team\u2019s leading driver after Dixon\u2019s six championships.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Scott Dixon set to leave Chip Ganassi Racing for McLaren in 2027, \u00c1lex Palou will become the team\u2019s most decorated active driver in terms of championships and wins. The Spaniard, however, has rejected the idea that he should assume a leadership role within Ganassi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Palou joined Ganassi in 2021, when Dixon was already firmly established as one of the biggest names in IndyCar. The New Zealander had won his sixth championship the previous season and was the clear veteran reference point within the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Palou was not intimidated, however, and immediately won the title in his first season with Ganassi. Since then, the #10 driver has established himself as not only the team&#8217;s strongest performer but also one of the dominant forces in the series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Dixon moving to McLaren for 2027, Palou will have the most championships and victories among Ganassi\u2019s remaining drivers. Despite that status, he does not believe the team needs a designated leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Palou does not see a leader at Ganassi<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Palou explained that Ganassi has never been built around one driver having more influence than the others. Even when he first joined the team, he did not feel that Dixon was responsible for directing the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHonestly, I don\u2019t think there has been a leader in the team. Even when I joined the team, it didn\u2019t feel like Scott was running Ganassi or anything like that. He was part of the team. Obviously, Dixon was the fastest,\u201d Palou said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Spaniard believes Ganassi\u2019s internal hierarchy is determined more by performance on a given day than by a formal leadership structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s how we work: whoever is fastest in that session or on that day is leading the team, you could say,\u201d the five-time champion explained.<\/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\/09\/Scott-Dixon-and-Chip-Ganassi-Mission-Foods-Grand-Prix-of-Monterey-By_-Chris-Owens_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164805-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1020313975\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Scott-Dixon-and-Chip-Ganassi-Mission-Foods-Grand-Prix-of-Monterey-By_-Chris-Owens_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164805-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Scott-Dixon-and-Chip-Ganassi-Mission-Foods-Grand-Prix-of-Monterey-By_-Chris-Owens_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164805-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Scott-Dixon-and-Chip-Ganassi-Mission-Foods-Grand-Prix-of-Monterey-By_-Chris-Owens_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164805-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Scott-Dixon-and-Chip-Ganassi-Mission-Foods-Grand-Prix-of-Monterey-By_-Chris-Owens_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164805-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Scott-Dixon-and-Chip-Ganassi-Mission-Foods-Grand-Prix-of-Monterey-By_-Chris-Owens_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164805-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Scott-Dixon-and-Chip-Ganassi-Mission-Foods-Grand-Prix-of-Monterey-By_-Chris-Owens_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m164805-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00c1lex Palou reiterated that he does not intend to take on a leadership role at Ganassi after Scott Dixon\u2019s departure (Photo: IndyCar)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Palou also emphasized that every driver at Ganassi has an opportunity to contribute to the team\u2019s development, regardless of their position in the championship or their experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe way everyone works at Ganassi isn\u2019t based on a leader, a driver who has more of a voice than the others or anything like that. I felt that from day one. I think it\u2019s the best way to do it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Palou wants Ganassi to keep the same philosophy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Palou, Dixon\u2019s departure should not lead to a change in the way Ganassi operates. Despite becoming the team&#8217;s most decorated driver, he does not want his status to alter the established working environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI wouldn\u2019t like to be the leader. I wouldn\u2019t change that just because he\u2019s leaving. I hope everything stays the same. The way we work pushes each of the drivers to their maximum. That\u2019s what we need,\u201d Palou concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dixon\u2019s move to McLaren will therefore mark a major change for Ganassi, but Palou does not expect the team\u2019s internal philosophy to change with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Spaniard has already spent five seasons as a central figure within the organization and has won five IndyCar championships during his career. His success means Ganassi will continue to have a championship-caliber reference point even after Dixon\u2019s departure, but Palou is clear that he does not intend to turn that status into formal authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2026 IndyCar season has now ended, with the next championship round scheduled for March 5-7, 2027, when the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg opens the new season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before then, IndyCar will begin testing the IR-28, the car planned for introduction in 2028. The next test is scheduled for Wednesday (9) and Thursday (10) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> will continue to follow the latest developments in IndyCar and the preparations for the 2027 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who will be Ganassi\u2019s leading driver after Scott Dixon leaves?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00c1lex Palou will be Ganassi\u2019s most decorated remaining driver when Scott Dixon leaves for McLaren in 2027. Palou has won five IndyCar championships since joining the team in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is Scott Dixon leaving Ganassi?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dixon is set to join McLaren for the 2027 IndyCar season, ending his long association with Chip Ganassi Racing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When does the 2027 IndyCar season start?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2027 IndyCar season is scheduled to begin with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg from March 5-7. IndyCar will also continue development work on the IR-28, which is scheduled to debut in 2028.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With Scott Dixon leaving for McLaren in 2027, \u00c1lex Palou will become Ganassi\u2019s most successful driver, but the Spaniard insists the team has never operated around a single leader<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020314336,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Palou rejects leadership role at Ganassi after Dixon\u2019s move to McLaren","42wp_featured_image_credits":"IndyCar","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[27,500,26,9,11],"42wp_author":[55],"class_list":["post-1962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indy","tag-alex-palou","tag-chip-ganassi-racing","tag-ganassi","tag-indycar","tag-scott-dixon","42wp_author-caio-cavalcante"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1962","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=1962"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1966,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1962\/revisions\/1966"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020314336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1962"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=1962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}