Reigning and four-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou expressed a mix of sadness and gratitude following the announcement that his longtime teammate, Scott Dixon, will leave Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) at the end of the current season.
The move marks the end of an era for the sport and positions the 29-year-old Spaniard as the de facto leader and most tenured driver at CGR heading into the 2027 season.
Earlier this week, CGR confirmed that Dixon will exit the team after a legendary 24-year tenure. Palou joined the organization in 2021, immediately following Dixon’s sixth and most recent IndyCar title in 2020.
The upcoming transition highlights a massive shift for the championship-winning organization.
Palou, 29, is poised to become the team’s veteran anchor and de facto leader for the 2027 campaign. He succeeds Dixon, who leaves behind an unparalleled legacy with the team that includes six series championships, and 58 victories, including a win at the 2008 Indianapolis 500.
“I would not be here today without him”
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Lumen via Getty Images
Following opening practice for this weekend’s IndyCar round at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where Palou was third-fastest, he shared his own thoughts on Dixon’s departure.
“Yeah, it’s sad,” Palou said. “It’s sad because of what he has done for the team, for everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing. I’ve not been since the beginning, obviously, but I know I would not be here today without him and also with the results I had. It’s big-time due to him.
“Very sad, but at the same time, it’s okay. It’s just part of life. It’s part of the sport. I wish him the best, honestly. I’m going to try and keep on learning as much as I can throughout the races that we still have.”
With Dixon’s departure, Palou will undeniably become the benchmark driver at Ganassi. However, he dismissed the idea that his recent championship dominance might make him an intimidating teammate for whoever steps into the vacant #9 CGR seat.
“No, I think it’s… When I had the opportunity to be teammates with Scott, it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me,” Palou said. “First, you have no pressure because you’re going against the best. You can learn as much as you can. I think a teammate that is my teammate can see everything that I do and can learn as much as he wants from me, can drive the same car that I drive.
“I think it’s actually an opportunity that a lot of people want. They always want to compare themselves or drive the same car than the person that is winning.”
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Photo by: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
While Dixon has long been considered the heart and soul of the CGR organization, Palou does not expect the structural day-to-day operations to change drastically when he takes over as the veteran anchor. He emphasized that Ganassi has always maintained an egalitarian environment among its drivers.
“The way that this team operates, it’s very open,” Palou said. “Every single driver has the same amount of saying, let’s say. Since day one I had the same amount of saying as Scott… I’ve never felt like there was a leader on, like, guiding the team.”
Palou noted his working relationships with current CGR drivers like Kyffin Simpson, along with technical alliance teammates at Meyer Shank Racing, Marcus Armstrong, and Felix Rosenqvist, in how everyone has an equal voice.
“There’s been no time that one driver had more saying or more importance than any other, and I think it’s going to be the same for the future,” Palou said.
As for who will fill the highly coveted seat Dixon is leaving behind for a new IndyCar challenge, Palou insisted he has no input in team owner Chip Ganassi’s decision and prefers it that way.
“Honestly, I do not care, and I have zero saying about it,” Palou stated. “People think that we get more saying than what we actually do. But I would not want to have any saying on that.”
Regardless of whether the team opts for an experienced veteran or a young up-and-comer, Palou’s criteria for a teammate remains simple: speed.
“As a driver, you always want the fastest driver in the same machinery as you,” Palou said. “You want to see what the best drivers can do. You want to learn from them. You think that you can beat them when they are with an equal machinery to you. I think whatever Chip and the team decides will be the best decision, obviously.”
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