2025 Java House Grand Prix of Monterey

Palou Dominates Laguna Seca for Eighth Win of 2025, Nears Third Straight Title

Alex Palou cruised to his eighth victory of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season in the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, leading 84 of 95 laps in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The win, Palou's 19th career triumph and third at the venue in four years, came by a commanding 3.7965 seconds over Christian Lundgaard, tying him for 24th on the all-time wins list and positioning him two shy of the single-season record of 10 set by A.J. Foyt in 1964 and Al Unser in 1970. Colton Herta rounded out the podium in third, marking his second top-three finish of the year.

Under partly cloudy skies with ambient temperatures at 65 degrees and track temperatures at 112 degrees per Firestone engineers, Palou launched from the NTT P1 Award pole position but faced early chaos. The race went full-course yellow on Lap 1 after contact in Turn 6 between Kyffin Simpson and Felix Rosenqvist, with the No. 8 Journie Rewards Chip Ganassi Racing Honda and No. 60 SiriusXM Meyer Shank Racing Honda involved. Palou maintained the lead through the caution, which extended to Lap 5 before green-flag racing resumed.

Strategic tire choices defined the afternoon, with teams navigating high degradation on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course. Palou started on alternates, building a gap before pitting on Lap 25 under caution triggered by Jacob Abel's contact with the barrier in Turn 2 in the No. 51 Abel Construction Dale Coyne Racing Honda. Nolan Siegel briefly led on Lap 26 after cycling through stops in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, but Palou reclaimed the top spot on Lap 36 with a bold outside pass in Turn 3.

Further cautions punctuated the race: Lap 26 for Rinus VeeKay's spin in Turn 3 after contact with Kyle Kirkwood in the No. 18 askROI Dale Coyne Racing Honda, earning Kirkwood a stop-and-go penalty for avoidable contact; Lap 78 for Marcus Ericsson stopping on course in Turn 7 in the No. 28 Delaware Life Andretti Global Honda after a spin; and Lap 85 for Santino Ferrucci off course in Turn 8 in the No. 14 Sexton Properties / AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet. Five cautions totaled 13 laps, with two lead changes among two drivers.

Palou's pace shone on both alternates and primaries, posting the fastest lap of 1:10.7851 on Lap 9. "It was another magical day for us, the 10 car and CGR," Palou said post-race. "I think this was probably one of our best weekends ever ... we were fast on both soft or hard tires."

His strategist, Barry Wanser, credited tire management: "The biggest turning point ... was the pace we had on the primary harder tires against the cars behind us on the alternate soft tires."

Lundgaard charged from seventh to second in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, executing 15 on-track passes — the race high — and leveraging undercuts. "I knew I had to surprise him," Lundgaard said of battling Herta. "So I did it into 11 instead of waiting for the main straights. Always fun racing."

Herta, starting on primaries, advanced with strong restarts and 20 career podiums now under his belt. "I think I had his pace," Herta noted of Palou, "but ... overcuts and undercuts, it's a different thing."

The race saw 162 total passes, 113 for position, over 2:05:00.1159 at an average speed of 102.051 mph. Callum Ilott improved most positions, gaining 18 spots to sixth in the No. 90 Prema Racing Chevrolet.

Palou's victory eliminated Dixon and Kirkwood from title contention, leaving O'Ward 121 points behind. "It's never over until it's over," Palou cautioned. "We still need to win it." If Palou exits Portland with a 108-point lead or more, he clinches his third straight crown. Lundgaard sits fifth in points at minus-233, Herta seventh at minus-277.

Colton Herta Leads Warm-Up at Laguna Seca as Grip Challenges Persist

Colton Herta paced the rescheduled warm-up session for the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, turning a best lap of 1:09.6028 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Andretti Global Honda at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The 25-minute final practice, shifted to Saturday afternoon due to potential weather constraints Sunday morning, provided teams a crucial tune-up before the 95-lap race, with Herta's time edging Alex Palou's 1:10.0273 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda by 0.4245 seconds.

The session opened at 4:02 p.m., but incidents quickly intervened. Palou incurred a drive-through penalty for improper pit exit early on, disrupting his run. At 4:22 p.m., Josef Newgarden stopped off course in Turn 3 in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet, triggering a red flag and earning a five-minute penalty for causing the stoppage. Officials extended the session by five minutes, resuming green-flag running at 4:27 p.m. for the final five minutes before the checkered at 4:32 p.m.

Scott Dixon followed in third at 1:10.2748 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, with Nolan Siegel fourth at 1:10.2976 in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Felix Rosenqvist and Newgarden tied for fifth-fastest at 1:10.3165 and 1:10.3167 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Meyer Shank Racing Honda and Newgarden's Chevrolet, respectively. Rinus VeeKay, David Malukas, Marcus Armstrong and Alexander Rossi completed the top 10, with times ranging from 1:10.4036 to 1:10.4330.

Combined across Friday's Practice 1 and warm-up, Pato O'Ward's Practice 1 benchmark of 1:09.2069 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet remained the weekend's fastest, followed closely by Herta and Armstrong at 1:09.3173 and 1:09.3174. Palou, Callum Ilott, Christian Rasmussen, Kyle Kirkwood, Rosenqvist, rookie Louis Foster and Christian Lundgaard rounded out the top 10 overall, highlighting consistent performers amid evolving track conditions.

Drivers noted the track's reduced grip, echoing sentiments from earlier sessions. As Herta said Friday, "The grip level is down quite a bit … it's kind of needed here because I think the racing is very stale without tire deg." Palou, reflecting on similar challenges Saturday, added, "It's one of those tracks that rewards a lot when you push it, but it's waiting for you to make a mistake everywhere, and also the sand makes it really challenging."

With tire degradation expected to influence strategy and passing on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit, the warm-up sets the stage for a demanding race where precision could prove decisive in the championship fight.

Palou Secures Front-Row Lockout with O'Ward in Weather-Altered Qualifying at Laguna Seca

Alex Palou captured the NTT P1 Award for the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, posting a commanding lap of 1:08.3413 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda during the Firestone Fast Six at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The pole marks Palou's second straight at the venue, his fifth of the 2025 NTT IndyCar Series season and the 11th of his career, positioning the points leader strongly in his bid for a third consecutive championship. Joining him on the front row is title rival Pato O'Ward, who clocked 1:08.6280 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, setting up a high-stakes duel as Palou's lead extends to 100 points with three races remaining.

Weather played a pivotal role Saturday, with Practice 2 canceled due to conditions grounding the medical helicopter. Qualifying groups were determined by Friday's combined Practice 1 results, where O'Ward held the option to choose his group. The session proceeded on schedule under partly cloudy skies with ambient temperatures at 63 degrees and track temperatures at 100.9 degrees per Firestone engineers. In response to potential Sunday morning constraints, the warm-up was rescheduled to 4 p.m. PT Saturday on FS2.

Qualifying unfolded in its traditional three-segment format, beginning with Round 1 Group 1 at 11:35 a.m. Palou led with a 1:08.6652, advancing alongside Felix Rosenqvist (1:08.8323 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Meyer Shank Racing Honda), Christian Rasmussen (1:08.8331 in the No. 21 Liquid Science Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet), Christian Lundgaard (1:08.8393 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet), Colton Herta (1:08.8655 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Andretti Global Honda) and Josef Newgarden (1:08.8802 in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet). Rookie Jacob Abel incurred a drive-through penalty for improper pit exit in the No. 51 Abel Construction Dale Coyne Racing Honda.

Group 2 saw O'Ward top the times at 1:08.7514, with Marcus Armstrong (1:09.0804 in the No. 66 SiriusXM / Root Insurance Meyer Shank Racing Honda), David Malukas (1:09.1369 in the No. 4 Clarience Technologies AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet), Will Power (1:09.1859 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), rookie Louis Foster (1:09.2530 in the No. 45 Droplight Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda) and Graham Rahal (1:09.2751 in the No. 15 WWEX Group Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda) progressing. Devlin DeFrancesco lost his best lap for causing a local yellow that affected competitors in the No. 30 Mi-Jack Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda.

In Round 2, Palou sharpened to 1:08.5948, leading Herta (1:08.6435), O'Ward (1:09.0224), Malukas (1:09.0336), Newgarden (1:09.1074) and Power (1:09.1929) into the Firestone Fast Six. Rosenqvist dropped to 12th after a penalty for causing a local yellow in Turn 5 that impacted others.

The Firestone Fast Six climaxed with Palou's pole-clinching effort, outpacing O'Ward by 0.2867 seconds. Herta took third at 1:08.8824, followed by Newgarden (1:09.6695), Power (1:10.0062) and Malukas (1:10.1811).

Lundgaard starts seventh, Rahal eighth, Foster ninth, Armstrong 10th, Rasmussen 11th and Rosenqvist 12th. Scott McLaughlin heads the rest in 13th at 1:08.9903 in the No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet.

In the post-qualifying press conference, Palou reflected on extensive setup changes amid grip loss. "We changed a lot of stuff. You wouldn't believe it," he said. "It changed a lot, honestly, how the car feels … it's making it more challenging. I think it's going to open up different lines in the race." Welcoming O'Ward's proximity, Palou added, "I honestly … think it's better to have your closest competitor close. You want to be on the same strategy."

O'Ward acknowledged the gap but celebrated his best Laguna start. "I think Alex just did a really strong lap," he said. "We've definitely seen closer ones before … it just makes us push even harder." On setups, O'Ward noted, "They have my car. They copied it from yesterday. So yeah, all three cars are pretty much the same."

With tire degradation expected to heighten strategy and overtakes on the 95-lap contest, the front-row battle could define the championship trajectory as the series charges toward its finale.

O'Ward Tops Opening Practice at Laguna Seca as Tire Degradation Takes Center Stage

Pato O'Ward set the pace in the opening practice session for the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, posting a best lap of 1:09.2069 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet during the Group 1 segment at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Under sunny skies with ambient temperatures at 66 degrees and track temperatures reaching 117.3 degrees according to Firestone engineers, the NTT IndyCar Series field tackled a 45-minute all-cars period followed by two 12-minute group sessions, with incidents disrupting the flow but revealing insights into tire degradation and setup challenges on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course.

The session began with all 27 entries on track, where Alex Palou led early with a 1:10.1701 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Action halted at 2:38 p.m. when Devlin DeFrancesco made contact between Turns 4 and 5 in the No. 30 Mi-Jack Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda, triggering a red flag and a five-minute penalty for causing the stoppage. Moments later, Alexander Rossi's contact with the barrier in Turn 6 in the No. 20 ECR Javahouse Chevrolet prompted another red and the checkered flag, ending the all-cars segment with Palou on top.

Group 1 saw O'Ward edge Marcus Armstrong's 1:09.3174 in the No. 66 SiriusXM / Root Insurance Meyer Shank Racing Honda and Palou's 1:09.3679. Callum Ilott impressed in fourth at 1:09.6735 in the No. 90 Prema Racing Chevrolet, followed by Christian Rasmussen at 1:09.6736 in the No. 21 Liquid Science Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet. Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas, Rinus VeeKay, Sting Ray Robb and Scott McLaughlin completed the top 10, with drivers leaning on alternate tires to extract pace.

In Group 2, Colton Herta led with a 1:09.3173 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Andretti Global Honda, followed by Felix Rosenqvist at 1:09.9132 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Meyer Shank Racing Honda and rookie Louis Foster (R) at 1:09.9877 in the No. 45 Droplight Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda. Christian Lundgaard posted a 1:10.0684 for fourth in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, but Josef Newgarden's spin at Turn 8 in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet caused a red flag at 3:18 p.m., earning a five-minute penalty and prompting a session extension for one timed lap. Kyffin Simpson, Jacob Abel, Will Power, Robert Shwartzman, Graham Rahal and Conor Daly followed, while Scott Dixon languished with a 1:12.4658 after limited running.

Combined results crowned O'Ward's lap as the fastest, with Herta and Armstrong tying for second at 1:09.3173 and 1:09.3174, respectively. Palou, Ilott, Rasmussen, Kirkwood, Rosenqvist, Foster and Lundgaard rounded out the top 10. Rookies shone, with Foster third in Group 2 and Abel sixth, while Shwartzman took eighth in his group debut.

In the post-practice press conference, Herta expressed confidence despite untapped potential. "Car felt great. I think there's a better lap time in there for us, but just didn't get everything out of it," he said. Noting increased tire degradation reminiscent of pre-repave years, Herta added, "It's looking a little bit more like older Laguna Seca, which I like. I think it opens up the passing a lot more, and the raceability of the racetrack is going to be a lot better."

Lundgaard, however, was frustrated by unexpected pace issues. "If I'm going to be honest, not much," he said when asked what he learned. "We were, I would say, a lot slower than we were anticipating, and we seemed to lack some pace, so we've got some work to do overnight." He highlighted the track's lower grip, predicting errors: "It seems to be a little bit lower grip and just more penalizing this year."

With Practice 2 scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Saturday and qualifying at 11:35 a.m., teams face a critical window to refine setups on a track where evolving conditions and degradation could shape a strategic 95-lap race, amplifying overtaking opportunities.