April 2026

10 THROUGH THE LENS: ALEX PALOU OWNS THE FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX I’ve shot a lot of races over the years. Different tracks, different series, different energy. But every now and then, you find yourself at an event where everything just clicks. The light, the access, the at - mosphere, and the story unfolding right in front of your lens. That was the case at the Firestone Grand Prix. I was on site for two full days, mov - ing between the pits, the grid, and just about every angle they would let me get near. Full access changes everything.You are not guess - ing what is happening. You are in it. You hear the conver - sations, you see the tension in the crews, and you feel the rhythmof racedaybuilding longbefore thegreenflagdrops. And from early on, one thing became clear. Alex Palou was not just racing. He was in control. From a photographer’s perspective, dominance looks different than it does on TV. It is not just about leading laps. It is in the details. The way a driver hits the same mark corner after corner. The calm in the pit. The lack of panic. Palou had that presence all weekend. Smooth, focused, efficient. When the race got underway, the energy shifted fast. Street circuits like St. Petersburg are tight, unforgiving, and chaotic if you are even slightly off. But Palou made it look clean. Every pass I