Alex Palou and NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson have been teammates between 2021 and 2022 at Chip Ganassi Racing. With the seven-time Cup Sequence champion being within the CGR squad when the Spaniard was combating for his first IndyCar title in 2021, Palou revealed how Johnson’s one recommendation modified his perspective on racing and geared him up for the problem mendacity forward.
Palou made his IndyCar debut in 2020 and moved to CGR for the next 12 months. There, Johnson additionally arrived in the identical timeline for his IndyCar enterprise, after racing inventory vehicles for over a decade.
The 50-year-old, having huge experience in amassing championships on the tough finish of the racing ladder, additionally lent his racing expertise to Palou. In his pursuit of his maiden Astor Cup in 2021, he had Johnson by his aspect, and reflecting on how he helped him collect up a championship-winning season, the 28-year-old stated on the Pit Move Indy podcast:
“However yeah, he is taught me rather a lot about profitable, about maintaining at all times pushing for slightly bit extra to try to get extra wins, extra championships, and simply to nonetheless have that fireside inside. And yeah, I am simply fortunate that I obtained to share a few years as a teammate with him.” (29:43 onwards)
“He stated that I simply needed to be myself. He stated that the perfect factor that his dad informed him was that he stated, ‘Hey, Jimmy, simply be your self, fool.’ And it is humorous, that was earlier than his first championship battle, and that is what he informed me earlier than my first championship battle at Lengthy Seaside. So it type of makes you realise that on the finish of the day, it is solely racing and we solely must do our greatest to try to beat all of them.”
Then again, Jimmie Johnson remained as Alex Palou’s teammate in IndyCar till the top of the 2022 season. He then parted methods with the open-wheel racing ladder and has since made a number of race begins within the NASCAR Cup Sequence with the Legacy Motor Membership outfit.
Alex Palou remains to be involved with Jimmie Johnson
Although Alex Palou and Jimmie Johnson are not teammates, the pair are nonetheless in contact with one another. They do not discuss to one another steadily like they as soon as used to, however their heat bond goes sturdy.
Opening up on how his relationship with Johnson is panning out, Palou stated on the podcast:
“We do not communicate like each week, however yeah, I exchanged a pair [of] messages [with him]. He despatched me a few congrats messages this 12 months on the [Indy] 500. I noticed him on the 500, after I met [Tom] Brady and he was round, it was cool. So he is such a terrific man and I can’t wait to see him once more.” (31:10 onwards)
In the meantime, Alex Palou grew to become a four-time IndyCar champion in 2025. He has been in a position to win three consecutive championship titles, leaving him just one title victory away from tying the file for many consecutive championships received by an IndyCar driver, which is at present held by Sebastian Bourdais.
The Spaniard has solely simply began within the IndyCar sphere and has at the very least a number of extra years on the playing cards lined up forward. This might assist him to safe a number of extra championships and probably be a part of the likes of Bourdais or topple his file altogether if he continues such impeccable type.
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Edited by Geetansh Pasricha
