Palou began this 12 months’s race from pole however was pushed out of the lead battle following a collision with Rinus VeeKay within the pitlane. He bounced again to complete fourth, having charged up from final place.
When requested about his hopes for successful the 2024 Indy 500, after ending his title-winning season with a 3rd place at Laguna Seca on Sunday, Palou replied: “Properly, that will be a giant, huge objective.
“If we might get the Indy 500 subsequent 12 months, that will be already a very good 12 months clearly. We simply have to proceed working like we have been doing.
“I feel we now have probabilities if we put ourselves once more throughout the Indy 500 to be up there within the high 4, high 5 for the final restarts, we will be in a very good place.
“So, yeah, hopefully we will win a bit of extra subsequent 12 months.”
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Picture by: Gavin Baker / Motorsport Photographs
Palou revealed that he’s contemplating utilizing the #1 subsequent 12 months, as reigning champion, having eschewed the chance to take action in 2022 after his first title – when he continued utilizing #10.
He additionally thinks it could match along with his automotive’s sponsor, The American Legion, and its Be the One marketing campaign to stop suicide amongst veterans.
The #1 was final used season-long in IndyCar by champion Josef Newgarden in 2020, though Tony Kanaan and JR Hildebrand have used it for current one-offs within the Indy 500 in 2022 and ’21 respectively.
“Truthfully, I really like the #10,” stated Palou. “It was my first quantity once I began racing. That is why I needed to maintain it after 2021.
“However then, throughout final 12 months, I simply type of thought and was like, ‘Oh man, we must always have raced with the #1.’
“I will push for it. I will have a number of discussions with Chip. I will include, like, ‘the Be the One’. I feel that is nice.”
Turning to Dean Kessel, chief advertising officer for The American Legion, he added: “You must push for it, as nicely, on the similar time. We are going to push on the similar time for the #1 for the Be the One.
“I feel it is simply particular when you may win the championship and you may simply have the #1 for a full 12 months.”
