The end of the 2025 IndyCar season is getting closer and closer, as the penultimate race is set to take place in Milwaukee. Will pole sitter Alex Palou manage to hold on to his starting position and secure his ninth seasonal win? Or will O’Ward avenge the technical issues which affected his Portland round?
Foster, Dixon and Simpson are taking up a nine places grid penalty for unapproved engine change, whereas Herta and Rosenqvist from the back because of their respective almost crash and crash in Qualifying.
Drivers, start your engines!
O’Ward immediately tries to take Malukas’s P2, with McLaughlin and Daly, up to the top 5 from P8, big movers, but a yellow flag is issued almost immediately. In fact, Siegel got too low while trying to complete a pass but instead spun off and hit the walls at Turn 4.
Palou, Malukas, McLaughlin, Daly, Kirkwood, O’Ward, Newgarden, Power, Rasmussen and Veekay complete the top ten under the caution.
At the restart on Lap 10 Kirkwood attempted a move on Daly but was unsuccessful. Shortly after, on the same lap, another caution was issued because of Rahal spinning out. The RLL managed to not hit the walls and keep his car moving. Dixon also encountered engine issues.
Many drivers take advantage of the break for an additional splash of fuel.
Racing resumed on Lap 16 with Malukas taking the lead from the championship winner, too low on the racing line. The biggest mover of the day so far is Herta, up 11 places to P15. Power overtakes Kirkwood for P6, whereas Rasmussen and Lundgaard contend for P10. Ultimately, the ECR driver takes the position.
By Lap 24 Malukas has a 2 seconds lead over Palou.
However, later on Lap 38 the AJ Foyt driver loses the majority of his advantage while trying to pass lapped driver Jacob Abel, as it gets cut to under 0.400s.
Lead change!
In fact, ultimately the Spanish driver took back the lead on Lap 41. Power continues his strong recovery drive, on a quest to win a second race in a row after Portland, as he passes O’Ward for P5. However, the McLaren driver is able to retake it shortly after.
Lap 50 Palou, Malukas, McLaughlin, Daly, Power, O’Ward, Kirkwood, Veekay Newgarden and Rasmussen compose the Top 10. Alex Rossi is the first driver to pit, but has a moment while coming out of the box. Robb and Simpson follow him shortly after, with Power and O’Ward the first to stop among the front runners.
Dixon almost collided with McLaughlin while coming out of the pits. Palou pits on lap 59, able to resume his race ahead of the Penske driver on warmer tyres. Rossi’s earlier pit has him running in P4, while McLaughlin has took P2 from Malukas.
Lundgaard as well advanced to P7, whereas Daly, who stopped on the later side, dropped to P8. Malukas duels with potential future Penske teammate for P2.
In spite of his usual love for short ovals, Newgarden is not having a great day, as he drops out of the top 10 after the first pit cycle.
Only the top 20 is still on the lead lap as Palou laps Ferrucci.
On Lap 83 Power overtakes Rossi for P4, with the Penske driver definitely still out for blood. Shortly after, he almost made contact with Rahal while trying to lap him, allowing the ECR driver to take back his position.
By Lap 100, Palou holds a comfortable five seconds lead over McLaughlin. Palou McLaughlin, Malukas, Rossi, Power, O’Ward, Lundgaard, Daly, Herta and Kirkwood complete the top 10 at this point of the race.
Busy laps ahead
Rahal is the first to pit for a second lap, with O’Ward and Power next to pit on Lap 101, followed by Rossi. Palou is the last car from the lead runners to pit, as Malukas has a pit issue coming out a lap down and Power stops on track.
Replays show him hit the wall down at Turn 2 while trying to pass Simpson and going wide on the marbles. The Penske driver tried to resume his race, but the toe link had broke on his first contact and was forced to stop at Turn 3.
Meanwhile, making for a very hectic sequence, Malukas’s front right tyre got stuck. Green flag racing resumes on Lap 118. Immediately O’Ward tried a move on McLaughlin, with Lundgaard passing Rossi in spite of the ECR driver using a lapped Prema car as blockage.
Newgarden had a positive restart as he is quickly up to P5 and passes Lundgaard on the outside the on Lap 122. The Penske driver is definitely on a roll as he passes O’Ward a couple of laps after.
Pit stop time
Kirkwood retuns in the top 10 with a string move on Rasmussen, but the ECR Dane doesn’t go down without a fight as he tries to take it back. However, he has a couple of major swerves and falls a bit behind the Andretti driver.
Ilott pits with smoke coming out of the engine of his car no. 90, leaving oil on track. Another caution was thus issued on Lap 145. Palou McLaughlin Newgarden, O’Ward, Lundgaard, Rossi, Herta, Daly, Veekay and Dixon complete the top 10.
However, the entire grid takes advantage of the caution to pit, with Palou only narrowly retaining the lead from the Penske duo behind him.
Racing resumed on Lap 154, with Armstrong yet to pit leading the field. Daly passed on the outside going rather high Kirkwood, whereas Defrancesco settles in P13 ahead of the Meyer Shank Racing driver, who keeps dropping. Asked on the tyre strategy, Team Owner Shank just said: “ We were trying something.”
Rasmussen passes Kirkwood as well, getting closer to his Portland rival. Palou’s lead over McLaughlin increases to almost a second.
Malukas, on a quest to rebuild his race after his pit stop gun wheel issue, passes Dixon for P12. On Lap 186 Palou laps Rosenqvist in P16, as his teammate comes in for his third and probably last pit of the day.
Rasmussen , Lundgaard, Veekay, Rossi and Dixon pit earlier than the rest. McLaughlin cuts out Palou’s advantage, but still the Ganassi driver manages to keep his lead even with Dixon pit before him.
Latest shenanigans
With 50 laps to go this is the top ten: Palou, McLaughlin, Newgarden, O’Ward, Rossi, Lundgaard, Rasmussen, Herta and Dixon.
Rosenqvist and Lundgaard almost came into contact, whereas Ferrucci unlaps himself. The 2s gaps between the leader and McLaughlin appears to be shrinking, with the Spaniard who might picked up some slight wing damage from a light previous contact with Ericsson.
Additionally, on Lap 209 a caution was issued because of raindrops as Newgarden complains to Simpson for not allowing him to pass.
McLarens, Dixon, Daly and the ECR drivers pit for tyres, whereas the Penske’s and Palou stay out.
It was short lasted as on Lap 222 racing resumed. Palou had a bad restart, in contrast to Rossi who almost managed to pass Newgarden. Rasmussen passes O’Ward, who fights back but is unable to hold on to the Top 5.
The Dane also tried a move on his teammate for P4, who is successful. He goes on to pass Newgarden as well, with Rossi passing the Penske after slight contact as well.
A new race winner
Shockingly, Rasmussen goes for P2 as well, overtaking McLaughlin. The Dane on fire definitely wants to now chase the championship winner, 1.5s away.
On Lap 232 this was the top 10: Palou, Rasmussen, McLaughlin, Rossi, O’Ward, Lundgaard, Newgarden, Malukas, Dixon and Armstrong.
In only a couple of laps the ECR driver closes the gap to the Spaniard, attempting a move on the outside. The duo runs high, but Rasmussen is succesful in taking the lead from Palou with a rather ballsy outside overtake.
Only 13 laps are left in the IndyCar race at Milwaukee . Will we have a first time race winner? In three laps he has achieved a second of gap to the Ganassi driver, as he passed lapped driver Rosenqvist on the outside. almost coming in contact with the wall at Turn 2.
It’s a first ever double top 5 finish for Ed Carpenter Racing and a first ever IndyCar race win for Christian Rasmussen in Milwaukee ! He managed to keep away Palou’s assaults for the final, decisive leg of the race. Scott McLaughlin takes P3 ahead of Rossi and O’Ward.
Nashville season finale will be the last race of the 2025 IndyCar season.
