Pato O’Ward entered the Laguna Seca race needing a win to keep championship leader Alex Palou in close reach, but ultimately fell short, finishing fourth. Palou started on pole and dominated the race, leading 84 of 95 laps and securing his eighth victory of the season, extending his championship lead to 120 points with just three races left.
Christian Lundgaard took second place with a strong strategic drive, and Colton Herta completed the podium in third. O’Ward lost ground on a stint with hard tires, and despite a late-race caution helping him pass Scott Dixon for fourth, he could not challenge for the podium.
Key race results:
| Position | Driver | Team | Gap to Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Palou | Chip Ganassi Racing | - |
| 2 | Christian Lundgaard | Arrow McLaren | +3.797 seconds |
| 3 | Colton Herta | Andretti Global | +4.634 seconds |
| 4 | Pato O’Ward | Arrow McLaren | +6.648 seconds |
| 5 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | +7.342 seconds |
Championship standings after Laguna Seca (14 of 17 races):
| Position | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Palou | 590 |
| 2 | Pato O’Ward | 469 |
| 3 | Scott Dixon | 392 |
Palou can now clinch the title with consistent finishes over the remaining rounds, while O’Ward must return to winning form and rely on Palou faltering—a challenging scenario given Palou’s dominant pace and consistency through 2025. Despite the growing gap, O’Ward remains determined to fight for every point as the season nears its close.