At this point, it's probably going to take a billion-point lead for the IndyCar on Fox announcers to actually admit that, unless he misses the final four races of the 2026 season or crashes out on the opening lap in each, Alex Palou losing his championship lead is simply not a possibility worth actually discussing seriously to start every single practice, qualifying, and race broadcast.
Race wins pay 50 points (51 due to the guaranteed lap led bonus), and up to 54 depending on other bonuses (one for pole, two for leading the most laps). Palou's lead is 133, which is effectively two and a half victories.
We get it. IndyCar is, at its core, one of the most competitive racing series in the world. Fox isn't going to come on the air by saying, "Howdy folks, it's all over, might as well not even watch." That would be even more concerning. It's their job to promote a sport that, aside from the championship, does see more parity on a week-to-week basis than the haters would want you to believe.
Palou has simply shaken things up in a massive way by locking up two of the past three championships before the season finale (and let's be honest; it's basically three in a row), ending a 17-year streak of the title battle coming down to the wire. And he's in position to lock this year's up with as many as three races to go, which hasn't happened since the 2002 CART season.
David Malukas admits he's not competing for the 2026 IndyCar championship
While some still try to bill drivers such as Kyle Kirkwood, who hasn't won a race since March, and David Malukas, who is still seeking his first career win, as Palou's biggest "challengers", Malukas offered a brutal reality check for those very individuals.
"The battle is for P2," Malukas told Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, straight-up. "What would [Palou] have to do? Crash every race? It’s done. We just have to look on getting that P2 because that P2 race is a big battle."
Give him credit for admitting it, because at the end of the day, his battle is for P2. He has no business focusing on the championship, and a P2 finish would indeed be a huge deal for him in his first year at Team Penske, where he has led his teammates pretty much all season.
It's also one of the least discussed battles in the series right now, despite the fact that there are currently four drivers within 24 points. Again, IndyCar is still super competitive.
That said, he'd probably rather finish P3 if it still meant getting the monkey off his back with his first career win. Heck, he'd probably take P4 or P5 if it meant winning one of the season's final four events.
But perhaps that approach of going for P2 will serve him well over the next few weeks, rather than pushing too hard for a championship that was always a longshot to begin with. Maybe the lack of that pressure could be exactly what he needs to finally reach the top step of the podium.
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