Palou stormed to pole for final 12 months’s version of IndyCar’s blue ribband occasion, main the cost for the Ganassi workforce as all 4 of its vehicles certified within the high 10.
Though the 27-year-old Spaniard continues to be main a five-car CGR contingent this 12 months, it comes after qualifying 14th for Sunday’s 200-lap race.
It was the primary time since 2019 that CGR didn’t put a automobile within the high 12.
Palou acknowledged that its muted exhibiting in qualifying had been a “huge distinction” in comparison with 2023, when he led for 36 laps en-route to ending fourth, and that “we do not know” the the reason why.
“I imply, we do not know if that is what we misplaced or if we did not actually acquire or if all people improved loads,” he stated.
“Clearly we misplaced some velocity for those who take a look at the qualifying speeds we had final 12 months and this 12 months. We misplaced a bit bit.
“On race trim, it would not really feel as totally different. However yeah, it is for everyone within the workforce that we misplaced some velocity.
“We thought we did all of the work we needed to do to attempt to be a bit bit higher than final 12 months, however perhaps with the small modifications that IndyCar had with the gearboxes, the housing and all that stuff, that simply did not assist us in any respect.”
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
The marginally encouraging half for Palou, he defined, is that his efficiency in a set-up designed for the race nonetheless feels considerably just like final 12 months’s, when he charged from the again of the sector after a mid-race contact on pit highway with Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay.
“Final 12 months we had been tremendous comfy within the race, and I might say it was fairly straightforward to go,” Palou stated.
“In any other case dropping to twenty eighth or one thing on lap 100. We had been in a position to make passes and end within the high 5.
“I believe this 12 months, we nonetheless are in a position to go, but it surely’s not as straightforward.
“You might want to work much more. You might want to wait much more.
“So yeah, we’re struggling a bit bit extra. That does not imply that we’re fully off, and particularly at this race.
“However yeah, we’ve got some work to do.”