Indy 500 Champion Alex Palou Reveals New Borg-Warner Trophy Image

Alex Palou’s image is added to the Borg-Warner Trophy on November 19 in Indianapolis, recognizing his 2025 Indianapolis 500 victory secured in May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The four-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion becomes the first Spaniard to win the race, underlining his status as the category’s benchmark performer.

Palou drives the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, seizing the lead from Marcus Ericsson on Lap 187 and controlling the closing phase without error.

The result extends Chip Ganassi Racing’s Indianapolis 500 tally to six, reinforcing a program that blends engineering depth with consistent execution across strategy, pit work, and racecraft.

The unveiling takes place at The Above Event Center at Commission Row, within the Pacers Sports & Entertainment Complex’s Bicentennial Unity Plaza.

Later, Palou appears at an Indiana Pacers game with the trophy, echoing his earlier playoff visit and spotlighting the event’s crossover appeal.

Sculptor Will Behrends, responsible for every winner’s likeness since 1990, leads the process that turns reference imagery into a precise bas-relief in sterling silver.

Palou visits Behrends’ studio in Tryon, North Carolina, to support the modeling session and ensure detail fidelity.

Behrends begins with 360-degree photography and a life-size clay model. He then creates a smaller clay version, produces a wax, and hands it to a jeweler for casting.

The finished sterling silver piece is polished and attached to the trophy, completing a workflow that prizes accuracy and consistency across eras.

BorgWarner executive Michelle Collins highlights Palou’s determination and professionalism, noting the alignment between driver, team, and manufacturer that underpins such a flagship result.

The Borg-Warner Trophy, designed in 1935 and first awarded in 1936, stands over five feet, weighs more than 110 pounds, and includes winners dating to 1911 plus Tony Hulman.

For Palou and Ganassi, the addition formalizes a victory that strengthens Honda’s recent oval footprint and underlines a multi-year competitive axis likely to shape 2025’s title fight.

Attention now shifts to the next Indianapolis 500, with demand already building as fans plan returns to motorsport’s most storied event. Tickets are available through Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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Brian Thompson

Brian Thompson focuses on IndyCar Series news, from qualifying speeds at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to street-course race strategy. He delivers concise feature stories and technical breakdowns on chassis setups, tire choices, and championship standings for open-wheel enthusiasts.