Alex Palou has reached the pinnacle of his career by becoming the first Spaniard ever to win the legendary Indy 500. “I can’t believe it,” he said, ecstatic with joy. Rinus van Kalmthout was tasked with upholding Dutch honor, but his race ended in significant disappointment.
Alex Palou not only achieved his first victory on an oval track but also won the iconic Indianapolis 500, making him the very first Spaniard to accomplish this feat. “I can’t believe it,” he said afterwards. “What a beautiful day, what a beautiful race.”
Palou started the season exceptionally strong, with four victories in the first five races. The only thing missing from his already impressive list of achievements as the IndyCar champion of 2021, 2023, and 2024 was a win in the Indy 500. With just fourteen laps to go, he overtook his former teammate and ex-Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson, a move that turned out to be the ‘winning move’.
The victory in ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ (part of the prestigious Triple Crown of Motorsport) stirred up a lot of emotions. Palou was over the moon: he jumped out of his car, threw his gloves in the air, ran towards the pit lane, and celebrated exuberantly with his team. As tradition dictates, he drank a bottle of milk as the winner, in his case, whole milk. “I have to tell you, it was the best milk I’ve ever tasted. Really super sweet. I don’t know if they put something in it, but it tasted so good,” he said during the press conference, still with a broad smile on his face.
Disillusioned VeeKay
Rinus van Kalmthout, also known as VeeKay, dropped out after eighty laps in the legendary 500-mile (approximately 805 kilometers) race consisting of 200 laps. The Dale Coyne Racing driver started in 31st place, drove a strong race, but crashed in the pit lane, seeing a good result vanish like snow in the sun. “I had no response from the brakes,” Van Kalmthout explained immediately after the race in a conversation with Ziggo Sport. “The car kept its speed, so I eventually pressed as hard as possible on the brake pedal. I saw on my screen that I was still doing 120 miles per hour, just before the pit entrance line. So I tried to stop it. When the brakes really gripped, the left rear locked up. It didn’t feel like I was taking much risk.”
VeeKay was left disillusioned and visibly struggled to shake off his disappointment. “I was in a good rhythm, not taking too much risk and was able to overtake most of the time, but the sixth gear felt short so I was hitting the limiter. I suggested not taking any risks in the pit lane. I really didn’t take any risks, but the car just didn’t slow down.”
