IndyCar: The key thing Alex Palou did clinch at Laguna Seca

Alex Palou couldn’t quit seal the 2021 IndyCar championship a race before the season finale, but he did seal something else which could prove crucial in that fight.

A second place finish in Sunday’s IndyCar race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the 15th of 16 races on the 2021 schedule, wasn’t enough for Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou to put the championship out of reach from Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward or Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden.

With a maximum of 54 points on the table for each driver in this upcoming Sunday’s season finale on the streets of Long Beach, California, Palou leads O’Ward by 35 points, with Newgarden 13 points behind O’Ward.

This marks 16 consecutive seasons of the championship coming down to the season finale.

But while the 24-year-old Spaniard could not clinch his first title this past Sunday, he did clinch something else which could prove to be crucial in that championship fight.

The idea of O’Ward catching Palou in points may seem like a longshot; it probably is. With Newgarden, it definitely is.

But if O’Ward does manage to catch Palou in points, he must also pass him, as the driver of the #10 Honda has clinched the tiebreaker over the 22-year-old Mexican.

The first tiebreaker is wins. Palou has three wins so far this season; O’Ward has two. If O’Ward wins the season finale, they would be tied with three each. If O’Ward wins and they are tied in points, the tiebreaker would then become runner-up finishes. Palou has two runner-up finishes; O’Ward has just one.

Palou has not clinched the tiebreaker over Newgarden, however. But given the gap between the two drivers, that is far less crucial.

Like O’Ward, Newgarden also has two wins so far this season. But he has three runner-up finishes.

With that being said, there is no scenario in which the tiebreaker would become third place finishes since in a scenario where Newgarden wins and Palou ties him in second place finishes with what would be his third runner-up result, Newgarden wouldn’t be able to catch him in points.

But for those who might still be wondering, Palou does lead the two-time champion in third place finishes by a tally of three to zero.

The season-ending Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network from the streets of Long Beach, California beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 26. Start your free trial of FuboTV today if you have not already done so!