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Palou after teammate contact at Road America: 'We can play this game as well'
Alex Palou was less than impressed to find himself out of the Road America IndyCar race after making contact with Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson just minutes into the event.
The new Indy 500 winner made a last-second passing attempt under braking at Turn 5, and with the No. 8 Honda firing down the inside of Palou’s No. 10 Honda, the two clashed while turning, with Ericsson’s right-rear wheel hitting Palou’s left-front after completing most of the pass.
The incident, while far from heavy, nor the product of a dirty move by Ericsson, broke Palou’s left-front steering arm and left him sitting idle in the gravel. A full-course caution was required to lift the No. 10 car out of Turn 5, and after being checked by the IndyCar medical team, Palou vented his frustration.
“I think everybody saw what happened,” he said. “I think he was trying to win the race on the third lap and just came over.”
Asked if he was surprised by the suspension-breaking impact, Palou turned his words back to Ericsson.
“I was surprised that my teammate [broke my car],” he continued. “It's a single seater, right? So if you have a hit like that...it just broke. We can play this game as well.”
After repairs were made to the car, Palou went on to finish P27, 10 laps down to race winner Josef Newgarden.
Marshall Pruett
The 2026 season marks Marshall Pruett's 40th year working in the sport. In his role today for RACER, Pruett covers open-wheel and sports car racing as a writer, reporter, photographer, and filmmaker. In his previous career, he served as a mechanic, engineer, and team manager in a variety of series, including IndyCar, IMSA, and World Challenge.
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