Five-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou is stepping out of his usual championship-winning machinery this weekend to take part in the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Friday, October 16.
Palou will hop behind the wheel of Chip Ganassi Racing’s #11 Indy NXT entry, lending his wealth of experience to help the team evaluate and develop the car's performance. Transitioning from an elite IndyCar machine to the junior development series presents a unique challenge, according to the Spaniard.
"It'll be tough," Palou said. "I mean, it's very tough always to go from a car that has more downforce and, like, carbon brakes and stuff to some car that is a bit smaller, less downforce, less power, and it doesn't have as much performance."
While adjusting to the differences will take time, Palou, who will be classified as a rookie for the Indy NXT test, noted that his familiarity with the IMS road course layout provides a head start.
"I'm excited to help the team see how that car feels,” he said. “But at least I know the track, so that will make it easier. And, yeah, excited to see what that car is capable of and helping the team as much as I can."
Comparing the machinery to earlier stages of his career, the Spaniard expects a brief adjustment period back to a formula closer to his junior days.
"It’s probably like the current F3, which I drove, I mean, maybe already almost eight to 10 years ago," he said. "So, yeah, it'll take me a little bit to get used to. I know I won't be at, like, 100 percent. But I think we don't need to. The good thing is we're not racing. We're just testing. We're just trying to learn as much as we can."
Although his extensive top-tier resume offers valuable baseline knowledge, Palou acknowledged that ingrained habits from driving a full-blown IndyCar might require conscious effort to rewrite.
"I think that the experience for sure, it might help," Palou said. "But at the same time, I have so many things that I do on the current car, like the way I brake and the way I feel the car, that it's completely different to Indy NXT for sure."
Busy Roster and Fan Access
Palou headlines a busy day of testing for the squad, which features a robust driver lineup. NXT race winner and seven-time pole sitter Alessandro de Tullio, who was with AJ Foyt Racing this past season, will join the test alongside Alexander Korieba and Frankie Mossman. Carson Etter is slated to return to the #11 car once he fully recovers from shoulder surgery undergone in September.
For fans looking to catch the action, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has confirmed that the viewing mounds will be open to the public on Friday.
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