Story byPalou: Keeping Momentum Not As Easy As It Appears James Gilbert - Getty ImagesSusan WadeThu, January 29, 2026 at 2:55 PM UTC·6 min readAlex Palou seems chipper despite a $12 million court judgment against him. Competitors still regard Palou the driver to beat, but he remembers his humble beginning in the series. He’s focused solely on his own team and says of potential threats, “I have everybody in mind, and at the same time I don’t have anybody.”For a man who less than a week ago was ordered by a British court to pay Formula 1 team McLaren more than $12 million, four-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou looked astonishingly happy. Saying he wished he “could really elaborate a lot as I do on all other questions, but it’s probably a bit too early,” the Chip Ganassi Racing star was calmly articulate but clearly enthusiastic to see if he and his dominantly iconic No. 10 DHL Honda can repeat their stupefying 2025 season. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPalou, fresh from competing in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona for the Acura Meyer Shank Racing entry, said, “I’ve been lucky to go to Daytona and kind of get a rhythm, a small rhythm, and be at the track and driving a little bit. But I’m excited to get back to my car.