Alex Palou became the second driver in IndyCar history to win four consecutive championships and the third in IndyCar history to win at least five total with his 2026 title.
Palou clinched the 2026 title before the season finale, giving him three championships clinched before the season finale in four years. No title had previously been clinched before the season finale since Sebastien Bourdais won his fourth Champ Car title in a row in 2007, and excluding Champ Car, it hadn't happened since Dan Wheldon won the 2005 championship.
Palou's 2026 season may not have felt as dominant as his eight-win 2025 was, but he still won six races. Prior to his five-win 2023 season, no driver had even had a five-win championship-winning season since Simon Pagenaud in 2016.
With six more wins in 2026, Palou is now tied with Gordon Johncock on the all-time wins list for 17th with 25 career victories.
After entering the year tied with Jimmy Bryan and Sam Hornish Jr. for 23rd with 19, he passed them, Bill Holland, Emerson Fittipaldi, Tony Bettenhausen, Bobby Rahal, and Ted Horn during the 18-race 2026 season.
A jump into the top 10 all-time during the 2027 season is probably bit far-fetched, but there are still a handful of drivers Palou could pass with another multi-win campaign next year as he aims to become the first driver to win five consecutive championships.
Here are the only 16 drivers with more wins than Alex Palou.
16 IndyCar drivers with more wins than Alex Palou
Rank | Driver | Wins |
|---|---|---|
1 | A. J. Foyt | 67 |
2 | Scott Dixon | 59 |
3 | Mario Andretti | 52 |
4 | Will Power | 45 |
5 | Michael Andretti | 42 |
6 | Al Unser | 39 |
7 | Sébastien Bourdais | 37 |
8 | Bobby Unser | 35 |
9 | Al Unser Jr. | 34 |
10 | Josef Newgarden | 34 |
11 | Dario Franchitti | 31 |
12 | Helio Castroneves | 31 |
13 | Paul Tracy | 31 |
14 | Rick Mears | 29 |
15 | Johnny Rutherford | 27 |
16 | Rodger Ward | 26 |
Only A.J. Foyt (seven) and Scott Dixon (six) have won more championships than Palou, which has led to discussions about Palou perhaps already being in the GOAT discussion, specifically because of the fact that he's won his five championships in six years as Dixon's teammate.
The 2027 NTT IndyCar Series season is scheduled to begin on Sunday, March 7 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The full 2027 schedule hasn't yet been confirmed, but all races are set to be shown live on Fox.
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