IndyCar's Hollywood biggie ranks Alex Palou: "This is Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna and Jeff Gordon time"
Alex Palou is blazing a trail in IndyCar with his dominance in the 2025 season. After only seven rounds, he looks set to run away with a third consecutive championship and fourth overall. Hollywood icon Scott Borchetta, whose Big Machine Label Group aided Taylor Swift's rise to a pop icon, recently spoke very highly about Palou.
Among his other ventures, Borchetta's music label is also the primary sponsor for IndyCar's Nashville race. On Wednesday, June 4, IndyCar announced a rebranding of the race. From the race's fifth edition this year onwards, the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will become the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix.
This was done to have the Borchetta name at the forefront of IndyCar's identity in Nashville and promote the premium bourbon, which has also been a key long-time partner of Chip Ganassi Racing.
IndyCar held a press conference on Wednesday, with Scott Borchetta and the race's president, Anne Fischgrund, talking with the media about the change and all things IndyCar. The iconic music figure was asked about Alex Palou threatening to win the 2025 title before the season-ending Nashville race, and how it would affect the promotional aspect of the race, with the title potentially not on the line.
Borchetta compared Palou to F1 legends Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna, as well as NASCAR icon Jeff Gordon. He said (via ASAP Sports):
"I think we need to celebrate what Alex is doing. This is Michael Schumacher time. This is Senna time. This is Jeff Gordon time. So if he has to clinch in Portland (Round 15 of 17), which is possible, we've got to make sure people come and see one of the greatest of all time.
"This guy is on the precipice of four championships in five years. You just put the biggest crown jewel in that crown, and you don't want to miss this guy. He's just a little bit better than everybody else."
Alex Palou has also been compared to reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen on a few occasions. The Spaniard is on a historic run with Chip Ganassi Racing in IndyCar. He has won five of seven races this season, including the 109th Indy 500 in May.
How Alex Palou went from greatest Indy 500 high to rare DNF in Detroit
Alex Palou's victory at the 2025 Indy 500 was the stuff of dreams. Going into the race, the main storyline was his nonchalant dominance. But he'd never won on an oval before, let alone the fabled Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
He qualified sixth on the grid and wasn't in contention for the win until the closing stages of the race. Unfortunate scenarios for Conor Daly and defending winner Josef Newgarden ruled them out of victory contention. With 15 laps to go, Palou passed Marcus Ericsson for the lead and sustained it to emerge as the new Indy 500 champ.
The racing world's eyes were on him, and he also received a loud ovation at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse when he attended the Pacers vs Knicks game 3 on the same day. However, a week later, the Indy 500 curse struck.
On lap 72 of the Detroit GP, David Malukas drove into the back of Alex Palou's car and sent him into the barrier. It was Palou's first DNF since race two of the Iowa double-header in 2024. Kyle Kirkwood, who beat him in Long Beach, emerged victorious again.
Nonetheless, the three-time IndyCar champion leads the championship by 90 points over Pato O'Ward, with Kyle Kirkwood in P3.