Alex Palou had another control, timing and race intelligence masterclass to take him to his first ever Long Beach IndyCar win defeating Felix Rosenqvist in a decisive pit-stop stratagem and then sailing away in the final laps. The current champion in the series once again demonstrated to people why he is the model in the series and in one of the most recognizable street circuits in America.

Speed is not always the way Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is won and what Alex Palou did is to be precise. Although Rosenqvist led most of the first laps because he started in pole and led a race-high 51 laps, Palou was never far behind, conserved his tyres, trusted his crew and struck at the right time. As soon as he proceeded in the last circuit of calls the race was virtually in his possession.

To begin with, initial phases were a part of Rosenqvist. The Meyer Shank Racing driver started a clean pole and led the pack during the first laps. Alex Palou was not long behind him however By the 2nd lap, he passed Pato OWard to get into 2 nd place to start the chase.

The front group stood firm in the first stint to a large degree. Rosenqvist had kept to a slim lead of one to two-seconds, with Palou nowhere far behind. Kyle Kirkwood and O’Ward were behind them but none of them could be in any position to enter into the first phase with the top two.

But strategy soon entered into the fray. Josef Newgarden gambled and created a three-stop strategy, attacking the pit lane and letting the clean air come to him. Although that momentarily put him in the lead, the long-term duel was between Rosenqvist and Alex Palou, who were determined to use the two-stop strategy.

On the first stops of the leaders, Rosenqvist was able to keep ahead of them. However, Palou further pushed, decreasing the gap and pushing the race leader into attack mode. On the small streets of Long Beach, every lap counts as there are few opportunities to pass and often pit execution can determine the victor.

Then the moment had come. An 58 Lap warning about debris stood the field tight and transformed the dynamic of the race. At pit stops on Lap 60, the Chip Ganassi Racing team of Palou performed an impeccable job and put his car back on the track before Rosenqvist. It was a mere margin, but on a circuit such as Long Beach it was colossal.

Since the restart, Alex Palou appeared to be invincible. He escaped with impunity, established instant rhythm, and gained upon the first lap after lap. Lap 74 saw him pull out more than five seconds ahead. Rosenqvist was unable to answer and Scott Dixon passed Rosenqvist at third, to further make Ganassi a perfect afternoon.

Drama existed in other areas of the field. Contact during stops with a member of the pit crew resulted in a drive- through penalty against Will Power. The first retirement in the race was brought about by a hybrid problem that saw Marcus Ericsson withdrawn. The alternative strategy by Newgarden only won some slots and that was 14th.

Eventually, Palou overcame the finish line 4.198 seconds ahead to not only secure a memorable victory, but also his debut victory at Long Beach. It was also a Honda 1-2-3 sweep as Rosenqvist and Dixon were placed second and third respectively. Kyle Kirkwood also placed fourth in Andretti Global followed by O Ward.

This finding highlights the reason why Alex Palou still embodies the man to reckon with in IndyCar. He never required cavalieries or heroics. He just remained patient, he believed in the process and took advantage when the time came.

Long Beach is now finally overrun, and that ought to worry any competition in the paddock. As long as Palou keeps shrinking speed and calmness and using manufacturer winning strategy the championship road can boomerang through the Ganassi garage.

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