Pato O’Ward wins first Milwaukee race as Álex Palou moves closer to title

Pato O’Ward won the first race of IndyCar’s Milwaukee doubleheader, while Álex Palou strengthened his position at the top of the championship by finishing fifth.

The Mexican driver took his second win of the season and his second at the Milwaukee Mile, following his 2024 victory. Palou started from pole and avoided unnecessary risks as he resisted pressure from Kyle Kirkwood and Christian Lundgaard, the two drivers still described as having a realistic chance of catching him.

Palou’s advantage over Kirkwood grew to 97 points. With a maximum of 54 points available in a race, he could secure his fifth IndyCar crown, and fourth consecutively, if he ended the second event with at least a 54-point lead.

Rain disrupted the weekend schedule. The first race began late on Saturday and stopped after 90 of its planned 250 laps, with O’Ward leading and Palou in 14th. Attempts to restart it on Sunday morning failed because of more rain and the difficulty of drying the oval. Organizers instead held the scheduled second race at noon and postponed the conclusion of the interrupted race until later in the day.