In one of the most exciting Indycar races of the 2025 season, Formula One hopeful Alex Palou was chasing down a 60 year old record at the penultimate round of the season. Yet Christian Rasmussen became IndyCar’s newest race winner on Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile, delivering a late-race masterclass to deny Alex Palou the chance to etch his name alongside A.J. Foyt in the record books.
For Rasmussen, it was a breakthrough moment — the first win of his fledgling IndyCar career. For Palou, it was a frustrating reminder that even champions are vulnerable to strategy gambles and a changing track.
Starting from ninth on the grid, Rasmussen wasn’t a pre-race favourite. Yet the 2023 Indy NXT champion has quietly built a reputation as one of the most promising drivers in the paddock since joining Ed Carpenter Racing. On Sunday, he proved why.
Rain spots revolutionise the result
When a brief rain shower on Lap 209 forced officials to throw a caution, Rasmussen and most of the field dived into the pits for fresh Firestone rubber. Palou, leading comfortably at the time, chose not to pit — a gamble shared Penske drivers by Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden.
The decision swung the race. With fresher tires, Rasmussen sliced through traffic like a driver possessed. From seventh at the restart, he picked off car after car, climbing to second within two laps. Then, with 16 laps to go, he launched a daring move on Palou, powering around the outside in Turns 3 and 4. The pair even brushed wheels on the front stretch before Rasmussen surged ahead.
“Today was amazing,” Rasmussen said afterwards. “We were so good on new tyres, even compared to other cars on new tyres. Wow – that’s a good day, a good Sunday.”
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For team owner Ed Carpenter, it was vindication after years of waiting. ECR hadn’t won since 2021, but Rasmussen’s composure turned an opportunity into triumph. “He’s the best there is right now on short ovals,” Carpenter said. “That yellow played to his hand, and he did an amazing job taking advantage of his new tires and Chevy power.”
Alex Palou, meanwhile, could only reflect on what might have been. Already assured of his fourth championship in five years, the Spaniard arrived at Milwaukee chasing history. With eight wins already in 2025, he had a chance to match A.J. Foyt’s 1964 record of 10 victories in a single season — a feat untouched for more than six decades.
For much of the race, it looked probable. From pole position, Palou was in a league of his own. He led 199 of the first 234 laps, at one point stretching his advantage to nearly 10 seconds. Even at the final restart, he had a two-car buffer between himself and second place.
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Palou does not regret the tyre decision
But the rain caution changed everything. Palou and his crew decided against pitting, fearing a loss of track position. In hindsight, it was a mistake, but Palou defended the call. “It’s really tough when you’re leading,” he explained. “If everybody else stays out, suddenly you pit from first and you go to eighth. There’s no way with lap cars in between we would end up winning. I would still do the same. Obviously, now if you look at the result, you would say, ‘Why you didn’t pit?’ But I think it was a tough decision.”
Palou fought valiantly, holding off Rasmussen as long as possible. But once the Dane drew alongside, the outcome was inevitable. “I started pushing 100 percent,” Palou admitted. “I wanted to get at least one more second ahead. I couldn’t make it. He caught me by surprise. I couldn’t do very much.”
He had to settle for second place and the realisation that the most he can now achieve is nine wins — a total that still places him alongside Mario Andretti (1969) as one of the most dominant single-season performers in IndyCar history.
Palou joins the Greats
Despite the disappointment, Palou’s 2025 campaign remains extraordinary. Through 16 races, he has eight wins, two runner-up finishes, a third place, and six poles. He staked his claim to the championship early, winning four of the first five races — including his maiden Indianapolis 500 triumph.
Only three drivers in IndyCar history have ever won more in a single year: Foyt, Al Unser, and Andretti. Palou joins their company in statistical dominance, if not in outright records. And but for David Malukas knocking him into the barriers in Detroit, he might have completed every lap of the season — a feat achieved only six times in history.
Palou himself recognised the magnitude of the season. “I still had the mentality that I could win, that we could stay up front,” he said of Sunday’s late reversal. “But I was wrong.”
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Rasmussen in line for top drive in 2026
For Rasmussen, Sunday’s win was more than just a first. It was validation of years of persistence. After clinching the Indy NXT title in 2023, the Dane entered IndyCar with modest expectations, joining a mid-tier team in Ed Carpenter Racing. Success wasn’t immediate, but his speed on ovals stood out.
Milwaukee was the perfect showcase. Rasmussen not only managed his strategy flawlessly but also showed the raw pace to duel with Palou, a four-time champion at the peak of his powers. That kind of breakthrough could change the trajectory of his career, positioning him as one of the series’ rising stars heading into 2026.
The Milwaukee Mile has long been one of IndyCar’s most historic venues, and Sunday’s race served as a reminder of why. Strategy, weather, and raw racing combined to deliver a classic.
Season finale record still awaits Palou
For Palou, the setback won’t diminish his season’s greatness, but it will add an asterisk to what might have been one of the most complete campaigns in history. For Rasmussen, it was a career-defining moment — the kind of victory that turns potential into proof. Palou can reach nine victories in one season, with only AJ Foyt some sixty years ago with more.
The season now heads to its finale at Nashville Superspeedway, where Palou will get one last chance to claim a ninth victory and Rasmussen will try to prove Milwaukee wasn’t a one-off. Either way, Sunday’s drama has already ensured that the 2025 season will be remembered as much for the rise of a new winner as for the continued dominance of a champion.
Palou v Verstappen? Red Bull’s audacious 2026 driver gamble revealed
Alex Palou has dominated IndyCar like few before him, racking up four championships in five seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing. Now, whispers from inside the Formula 1 paddock suggest his next move could be across the Atlantic—to join Red Bull Racing as Max Verstappen’s teammate as Tsunoda’s replacement in 2026.
Sources with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to the Indianapolis Star that Red Bull has expressed “serious interest” in Palou, whose relentless consistency has made him one of the most valuable drivers outside of F1. The timing of the speculation is striking: IndyCar’s 2025 season finale takes place this Sunday in Nashville, followed by Palou’s media commitments, championship celebrations, and a looming courtroom showdown with McLaren.
When asked directly after finishing runner-up at the Milwaukee Mile last weekend, Palou insisted he had no knowledge of any talks. His manager, Roger Yasukawa, echoed that denial, and Chip Ganassi Racing confirmed to IndyStar that no discussions with Red Bull had taken place regarding their star driver’s future….. READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
