How Indy 500 Champion Alex Palou and Honda Are Leading the Charge in IndyCar's Hybrid Era

      **Karl Zemli**

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      During Sunday’s 109th running of the Indy 500, Alex Palou clinched his fifth race of the season, which is particularly remarkable considering that this prestigious Memorial Day weekend event was only the sixth race of the 2025 season. It also marked Palou’s first victory on an oval track, highlighting the fantastic season that Chip Ganassi's rising star is experiencing. However, beneath the headlines surrounding Palou, there's an often overlooked aspect: the Honda hybrid engine that enabled this success.

      When the vivid yellow DHL-backed Honda crossed the yard of bricks ahead of its rivals on Sunday, it was no mere coincidence. It resulted from months, even a full year, of preparation by the No. 10 team, and largely, extensive practice throughout May. Along with the usual challenges of racing in a pack, such as drafting, turbulence, slower traffic, pit stops, and the hurdles of maintaining speeds around 230 mph for nearly three hours, a new factor added to the complexity this year. For the first time, all 33 cars, whether Chevy or Honda, utilized a standardized hybrid system in a sold-out race. Like every other element in racing, teams and drivers had to quickly adapt to leverage this new technology.

      **A Long Time Coming**

      The IndyCar series took a significant amount of time—nearly five years—to realize its commitment to hybrid technology. Development delays, coupled with manufacturing and shipping issues, resulted in several postponements that caused widespread doubt about its eventual implementation. The global disruptions of 2020 due to the pandemic further fueled speculation about whether it would ever come to fruition. However, nearly midway through the 2024 season, IndyCar finally introduced the new hybrid systems during the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

      Though this edition of the Indy 500 was the first to utilize hybrid technology, teams didn't enter the race completely unprepared. Kelvin Fu, HRC US Vice President and a notable engineering expert, explained to me on race morning that extensive modeling simulations and racing simulations had been conducted to fine-tune the system's performance.

      While HRC US—Honda’s North American racing division—supports its IndyCar teams significantly, the actual implementation of the car’s drivetrain and systems is entirely in the hands of each team. Moreover, as both Honda and Chevy employ the same hybrid and energy storage systems, the primary challenge for drivers lies in mastering them and optimizing their potential, an endeavor that had limited time for exploration at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

      **Fu’s Insight on Preparation**

      “In terms of hybrid system preparation, everything must integrate seamlessly with the engine, chassis, etc.,” Fu stated. “So, it involves a lot of simulation and situational preparedness leading into the 500. The main focus is on how drivers can deploy the energy since they already juggle numerous controls on their steering wheels, presenting an added challenge. Traditionally, drivers prefer not to be the first in the front of the pack, but that might change. They now need to navigate through the pack and manage various strategies… [the new system introduces] a different dynamic, compelling teams and drivers to adapt.”

      “It’s going to be interesting [during the race], and we won’t fully know the impacts until it unfolds. We expect that drivers who excel at harvesting and regenerating energy at the right moments will gradually gain a competitive edge as they race. The ability to regenerate energy will depend on their position in the pack. If leading, they need to lift off the throttle less, but further back, they’ll have to lift more, and it is during those lifts that regeneration occurs,” Fu elaborated.

      “Those in the back might accumulate more energy, enabling better overtaking opportunities. We’ll see what happens, as many factors can impact car performance—weather, downforce, etc. We believe the hybrid system will influence passing efficiency; those who master it will find it easier to move through the field.”

      Overall race speeds were not significantly impacted by the hybrid’s enhanced power—now a combined 900 hp—because the cars have gained about 100 pounds in weight. The hybrid system, which occupies space adjacent to the engine and resembles the size of a milk crate, has made packaging under the engine cover more challenging than in the past. Contrary to common assumptions, it has not improved engine fuel efficiency, being purely focused on power and performance.

      **Race Strategy and Performance**

      Fu's remarks on the hybrid system benefiting astute drivers who prepare accordingly became evident as the race progressed on Sunday. Palou, who started in sixth position, wasn't heavily involved in the lead for a large part of the race. His intentions became clear only around lap 180 of the 200-lap event after he executed a couple of bold overtakes on Chevy drivers Santino Ferrucci and Pato O’Ward. Until that point, Palou had been consistently maintaining