IndyCar championship leader Palou suffers “not a good day” in Washington, D.C.

Alex Palou faced one of his worst days in the IndyCar Series during the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C. Despite starting on pole position, the reigning four-time champion never led a single lap. The Spaniard's day began poorly with a pit stop on lap 36, which resulted in a drive-through penalty due to striking a right-rear tire of rookie Mick Schumacher's crew.

A subsequent delay during his next pit stop caused Palou to fall a lap down. Throughout the remainder of the 147-lap race, Palou encountered further issues including contact with the wall, suspension damage, and a final spin in Turn 3 on lap 122. He had to return to the pit lane for repairs, finishing the race three laps behind in 20th place - his third non-top 10 finish of the season.

Palou expressed his disappointment, stating, "We could have done a lot differently... It hurts, man." This day had a significant impact on his championship lead. Kyle Kirkwood, Palou's championship rival, not only passed him in Turn 3 but went on to win the race. As a result, Palou's lead, initially 133 points over Kirkwood, narrowed down to 91 points with only three races remaining. Palou acknowledged, "It's okay. Things happen."