Alex Palou Becomes 112th Addition to Borg-Warner Trophy® After 2025 Indianapolis 500 Victory

Alex Palou’s sculpted face is the 76th different driver and 112th overall to be affixed to the legendary trophy
Palou is the first Spanish Indy 500 winner
Seventh victory as owner for Chip Ganassi

Auburn Hills, Michigan, November 20, 2025 – The sterling silver image of Alex Palou is now affixed to the Borg-Warner Trophy®, commemorating his victory in the 2025 Indianapolis 500. Palou’s image on the trophy was unveiled yesterday evening at Commission Row in downtown Indianapolis as part of a ceremony hosted by Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Palou, the four-time and defending IndyCar Series Champion who drives for Chip Ganassi Racing, is the first Spaniard to win the Indy 500. The win marks team owner Chip Ganassi’s seventh win as an owner, the second most wins by a team owner in IndyCar history.

“I’m honored to continue one of the greatest traditions in all of sports and unveil the latest addition to the iconic Borg-Warner Trophy,” said Michelle Collins, Global Director, Marketing and Public Relations BorgWarner. “Alex’s victory exemplifies that tenacity and constant commitment to excellence will result in success on and off the track. On behalf of everyone at BorgWarner, congratulations to Alex and the team at Chip Ganassi Racing.”

William Behrends, the man behind the faces of the Borg-Warner Trophy for over three decades, once again tackled the feat of adding a new face to the trophy. Behrends begins his process of sculpting by examining a series of 360-degree photos of the winner’s face and creating a life-size, clay sculpture. He then refines the sculpture during an in-person session with the winner at his studio in Tryon, North Carolina. The large model is then used as a reference to sculpt a smaller, oil-based clay version of the winner’s likeness. Once complete, the small clay model is turned into a mold and cast in wax before it’s sent to a jeweler where it is transformed into sterling silver. As the final step, the sterling silver face is polished and buffed before it’s permanently attached to the trophy.

On May 25, 2025, over 240,000 fans at IMS cheered as Palou crossed the finish line ahead of American David Malukas in second place and Mexican Pato O’Ward in third place. This year in his sixth overall start in The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, Palou topped the 33-car field after finishing fifth (2024), fourth (2023), ninth (2022) and second (2021) in his previous four starts with Chip Ganassi Racing. His second-place finish was behind 4-time winner Helio Castroneves in 2021.

Early next year, Palou will receive his first Championship Driver’s Trophy™ and Ganassi will receive his Championship Team Owner’s Trophy, both of which are miniature versions of the Borg-Warner Trophy and affectionately referred to as Baby Borgs.