Alex Palou clinches fourth straight IndyCar title and fifth overall in doubleheader at Milwaukee Mile

Alex Palou sealed the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series championship during a rain‑shrouded doubleheader weekend at the Milwaukee Mile. The Spaniard, 29, finished the season with a fourth consecutive title – his fifth in six years – and secured the championship with one race still on the schedule.

The weekend began on Saturday with Race 1, but a heavy rainstorm brought the event to a red flag at the 90‑lap mark. Officials decided to postpone the remainder of the race to Sunday morning. On Sunday, the track remained too slick for the first race, so the schedule was rearranged: Race 2, which started at noon, ran its full 160 laps, finished, and only afterward did Race 1 resume in the late afternoon. The unusual order meant that the results of Race 2 counted as the “first” race, but the championship‑deciding points came from the finish of Race 1.

Palou began the day on pole for the first race that was actually the second, but he was forced to serve an engine penalty in the Saturday event, which had already dented his points advantage. He drove a steady, clean race to finish 10th, while Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren won the event. The 29‑year‑old finished fifth in the noon‑started Race 2, earning enough points to stay comfortably ahead of his rivals. At the finish of the second race, Palou had a points margin of more than 54 over the next‑closest contender, a cushion that secured the championship before the final lap of Race 1.

Palou’s championship run was built on consistency and risk‑averse strategy. He kept his Honda‑powered Chip Ganassi Racing car out of trouble and avoided the pitfalls that can cost drivers in the IndyCar series. With the title locked in, he is still expected to compete aggressively in the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Sea, a track that has historically played to his strengths. The final round will take place on September 6, starting at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time and will be broadcast on FOX.

Palou’s fifth championship places him third on the all‑time list, behind AJ Foyt’s seven titles and his teammate Scott Dixon’s six. His rapid accumulation of titles over the past six years has turned him into one of the most dominant forces in the sport. With the season’s last race still to come, fans can look forward to a competitive finale from a driver who has already proven that he can handle both rain and high‑stakes pressure.