In a Nashville race where he needs to finish ninth to guarantee a third IndyCar title, Alex Palou is now on course to start 10th or worse.
Palou is taking a sixth engine - four are allowed per season, so he is incurring his second engine penalty this year. On an oval, the corresponding sanction is a nine-place starting grid drop.
In theory, that means he’ll almost certainly start 10th or worse. Other cars taking engine changes after practice could lead to him starting slightly higher - so far, Alexander Rossi in his last race for McLaren and the third title contender Scott McLaughlin are the only other drivers getting a penalty.
“Si,” said Palou when asked by The Race if he had to change to a new engine - IndyCar is expected to announce it officially on Saturday morning before practice begins.
“I don’t like it!” he continued, “but it doesn’t really change anything. We still need to do the best qualifying possible, and we still need to perform. It’s not making it easier or more comfortable, but it is what it is, hopefully we can get really nice horsepower, fresh, and have the best engine for the race.”
Palou has faced similar penalties on multiple occasions but never in a race deciding the title, so this is new ground for him.
Power predictably said that taking pole would make things easier here for him, especially given Palou’s penalty. But it doesn’t really change much for Power either - because he will have been going for pole and the bonus points it offers very hard anyway.
"I've got the pressure, but the right amount of pressure I need on me," said Power, who had been singing Bon Jovi at another station in the bullpen before coming over to talk to The Race.
"It's not like I'm comfortable, I never am. In 2022 I was ultra-focused on the job, knew the task and that's what I thought about. That's what I did.
"It's a subconscious pressure and it's always on you. I really notice it when, you can see when people re-sign [a new contract] and the pressure comes off them and they don't perform as well.
"As much as you hate the pressure, it's good for you. It depends on the personality, but it's a good thing, you're lucky to have it."
In some ways Power's task is very simple. He needs to finish in the top three to have any chance of the title.
Scott McLaughlin is the third wheel in this title race given that Palou merely needs to start this Nashville oval race to knock McLaughlin out of contention.
McLaughlin has engaged in a humorous barrage of social media posts the past fortnight inviting Palou to take up activities that might put him out of commission, like eating sushi or skydiving. Palou said he’d found it funny.
The championship finale pictures taken before the weekend were done on the seventh floor of the Nashville Underground bar, and McLaughlin joked he had been tempted to push Palou over the edge given the chance.
The oval element provides plenty of uncertainty - especially at a track not used in IndyCar since 2008 - plus there's alternate tyres this weekend, for only the second time in IndyCar's oval history.
However, rain is threatening the weekend significantly, especially on Saturday when practice and qualifying takes place. The track does have floodlights and IndyCar is expected to use them if needed over the weekend.
