“nobody to blame but me” with 2nd at Mid Ohio

On a day when his automotive was sporting an OpenAI livery, Alex Palou lastly proved that he’s human behind the wheel.

Palou was following the same old script for almost all of Sunday’s Honda Indy 200. After taking the pole on Saturday, the Spaniard proved dominant at Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course. He averted any beginning chaos, pushed out his benefit when the race went inexperienced for its closing two stints and emerged from his final pit cease with the lead, regardless of teammate Scott Dixon stretching gas to make one much less cease.

Heading into the closing laps, Palou was unchallenged. All he wanted to do was preserve his wheels on-track.

Then…he tousled.

Palou was rolling across the difficult 2.258-mile circuit with six laps remaining when he mistakenly ran off-course in flip 9. It was a minor error, however price the Spaniard sufficient time to let Dixon slip by for the lead.

“Only a silly mistake… Simply misplaced it a bit bit on entry after which couldn’t actually get energy occurring,” Palou stated.

With a faster automotive and Dixon conserving gas, Palou’s race wasn’t over there. He closed again up on his legendary teammate and spent the ultimate three laps trying to find a approach round him. However passing is a wrestle at Mid-Ohio, and Palou by no means discovered a approach by.

Palou took the checkered flag .4201s wanting his seventh win in 10 races. The 28-year-old confirmed a smile and voiced happiness for his teammate within the aftermath of his incident. However at the same time as he stored his cool, his disappointment proven by way of.

“The automotive was wonderful all weekend, all race,” he stated. “All people on the ten automotive did an incredible job on pit stops and technique. … “No one guilty however me. Simply acquired a bit huge on entry and misplaced it fully.”

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Photograph by: Gavin Baker / Lumen by way of Getty Photos

Sunday’s outcome isn’t a foul one for Palou on paper. At the same time as he misplaced the race, the Indianapolis 500 winner added to his championship benefit. Amongst races he’s completed this yr, he’s but to take the checkered flag worse than second on a street course. All informed, Sunday’s loss will likely be little greater than a uncommon blip amid a dominant championship run barring a historic collapse within the season’s closing two months.

However Palou remains to be a racer. So he’ll really feel the sting of a win that acquired away for a very long time.

“It sucks. It hurts rather a lot,” Palou stated of the loss. ‘Clearly it’s nonetheless a superb day, nevertheless it hurts to lose it like that. At the least we acquired it within the crew, to allow them to really feel happy with all their work.

“Huge, massive mistake.”