Newly crowned three-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou will contest the upcoming Indianapolis 8 Hour Presented by AWS, season finale for the Intercontinental GT Challenge. The Spaniard will team with Fabian Schiller and Luca Stolz in Lone Star Racing’s No. 4 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo for the Oct. 3-5 weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which doubles as the Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS title decider.
Palou’s is one of two Pro entries in Mercedes-AMG’s six-strong contingent at the Brickyard where it won with Craft-Bamboo in 2022. Factory drivers Maro Engel, Mikael Grenier and Jules Gounon share the second works entry run by GruppeM Racing, while the likes of SunEnergy1, Regulator Racing, Triple Eight JMR and RealTime Racing complete the manufacturer’s largely Pro-Am ensemble.
Palou is no stranger to GT3 machinery. Before his meteoric rise in American racing, he raced in Japanese Super GT with Team Goh and McLaren.
“I went to cheer [fellow Spaniard] Dani Juncadella two years ago when he raced in Indianapolis, and I wanted to do the race if there was a chance,” Palou said. “I received this excellent opportunity through AMG with a chance to win the race.
“While I will have to learn the characteristics of the car, Indianapolis is a track that I know very well, and I also have some previous experience racing in the GT3 cars. The obvious difference from IndyCar is that the GT3 cars are closed cockpit. The overall grip will be less than what I am normally used to but at the same time, it’s very tough to be on the limit because of the GT3 cars’ weight. I am really looking forward to having fun and fighting for the win at the Indy 8-Hour. It would be amazing to close out the season on a high with another trophy.”