As the 109th running of the iconic Indy 500 approaches, four-time winner Helio Castroneves has set his sights on one clear target: halting the dominant run of Chip Ganassi Racing’s star driver, Alex Palou. The Brazilian legend, renowned for his prowess at the Brickyard, recently shared his thoughts on his toughest rivals and the unique challenges of the 2025 season.

Alex Palou has been the standout performer of the 2025 IndyCar championship so far, clinching victory in four of the first five races. The Spanish driver kicked off his campaign with back-to-back wins at St. Petersburg and Thermal, followed by a strong second-place finish at Long Beach, where he narrowly missed out on a hat-trick. He quickly bounced back, taking victories at both the Alabama GP and the Sonsio GP, arriving at the Indy 500 with a formidable wave of momentum.

Castroneves was quick to acknowledge Palou’s remarkable form, stating, “Palou has been destroying everyone. It’s amazing in any sport, when you have that momentum. It’s incredible.” However, the Brazilian believes that the unique demands of oval racing—particularly at the Indy 500—could provide an opportunity to disrupt Palou’s winning streak. “I do feel the ovals, however, might stop this momentum. I’m going to try to stop his momentum, no question about it,” Castroneves asserted.

While Palou has been the headline act, Castroneves also highlighted the depth of talent within Chip Ganassi Racing, singling out Scott Dixon as a perennial threat. “CGR is another incredible team. They also won a lot of races. I feel that Scott Dixon is one of the guys that I competed with most of my career. He is probably one of the guys that has experience as a good team and speed as well. So he’s going to be up there along with Palou,” Castroneves explained.

For the 2025 Indy 500, Alex Palou will start from the second row after qualifying in sixth position (P6), while Castroneves will begin his campaign from a more challenging 22nd spot in the #06 Meyer Shank Racing entry. Despite the gap, Castroneves remains undeterred, drawing on his vast experience and tactical acumen at the Speedway.

Adding another layer of intrigue to this year’s race is the introduction of hybrid technology. IndyCar rolled out the hybrid system midway through last season, but the 2025 Indy 500 marks the first time these cars will compete on the legendary 2.5-mile oval. The hybrid units have added nearly 100 pounds to the rear of the cars, leading to increased rear instability and a notable uptick in crashes during practice and qualifying.

Castroneves believes the hybrid power unit will make for a fascinating and unpredictable race. “I believe this could be very, very interesting this race. There is a lot going on, and people don’t realize when you actually use the regen, it feels a little bit like a brake. You’ve got to be on top of this scenario, deploy and regen at the same time, at the right time, because if something goes ordinary, you’re going to get passed by a lot of people,” he explained.

As the green flag approaches, all eyes will be on Palou to see if he can continue his dominant run, or if veterans like Castroneves and Dixon can use their experience—and the new hybrid technology—to level the playing field. With the added challenge of the hybrid cars and a highly competitive field, the 2025 Indy 500 promises to be one of the most intriguing editions in recent memory.