IndyCar’s Chip Ganassi Racing, OpenAI Hope For ‘Competitive Advantage’

Q: How many championships has Alex Palou won in the NTT IndyCar Series?

Alex Palou has won four NTT IndyCar Series Championships.

Q: What significant race did Alex Palou win in 2025?

Alex Palou won the Indianapolis 500 in 2025.

Q: What is the goal of Chip Ganassi Racing's collaboration with OpenAI?

The goal is to create a competitive advantage in the NTT IndyCar Series.

Q: How many races has Alex Palou won in his first 100 starts?

Alex Palou has won 21 races in his first 100 starts.

Alex Palou in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda during the NTT INDYCAR Series Children's Of Alabama INDY Grand Prix on March 29, 2026 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Michael L. Levitt/Lumen via Getty Images)

Lumen via Getty Images

There are many in the NTT IndyCar Series that think Alex Palou’s dominance in the 2020s is almost an “unfair advantage.” Consider the driver from Barcelona, Spain has claimed four NTT IndyCar Series Championships in five years including the last three in a row and has won 21 races in his first 100 starts including the Indianapolis 500 in 2025.

The team announced its next step in creating a competitive advantage on Monday, April 13.

OpenAI, the leading AI research and deployment company, has expanded its partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) for 2026 to include two races as the primary partner for Palou and the No. 10 Honda team. The two-race deal will begin at this weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, followed by August’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.

Why The Chip Ganassi Racing Open AI Partnership Is Important

The partnership between OpenAI and CGR has grown throughout the last two seasons into a hands-on technical collaboration on and off the track. OpenAI researchers and engineers have worked alongside the team at races, combining cutting edge AI with CGR racing expertise to help the team achieve at the highest level.

“Racing has always been about finding an edge,” team owner Chip Ganassi said. “What we’ve built with OpenAI goes beyond a logo on the car and helps us find that edge. It’s a robust technical collaboration that’s helping us think differently about how we go racing and helps us win.

“We’re excited to have OpenAI on board the No. 10 at Long Beach and in Washington, D.C., two big stages for our sport.”

CGR uses OpenAI tools to analyze race data, streamline communication, and accelerate decision-making in high-pressure environments, helping the team focus even more on achieving on-track success.

“We are so proud of what we’re building with Chip Ganassi Racing, a hands-on collaboration where AI becomes part of the team, helping make sense of complex data, strengthening communication, and supporting faster decisions in the moments that matter most,” said Sarah Russell, Head of Integrated Marketing, OpenAI. “Together, we are exploring how AI can empower the people and processes that power performance on track—ultimately opening up new possibilities for how teams perform everywhere.”

OpenAI Hopes To Document IndyCar Relationship

OpenAI has hired Rob Wills, director of Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive, to lead a documentary project debuting this Summer about Chip Ganassi Racing and the ways it finds an edge in IndyCar with the help of OpenAI tools.

In Long Beach, OpenAI will join Palou as he chases his first victory in the Los Angeles area. In five starts at the California street course, Palou has never finished outside the top 5, scoring three podiums. It is a home-state race for the California-based company.

The announcement builds on a multifaceted partnership between Chip Ganassi Racing and OpenAI that began in 2025. Last season was one of the most historic in team history, with nine race wins and 17 podiums between IndyCar Series drivers Palou, Scott Dixon, driver of the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda, and Kyffin Simpson, driver of the No. 8 Sunoco Honda. Palou won last year’s IndyCar Series championship, his third consecutive title, and the 2025 Indianapolis 500.

In addition, the No. 9 and No. 10 teams finished 1-2 in the Firestone Pit Stop Performance Championship, making them the fastest in pit road through operational excellence and efficiencies powered by OpenAI tools.

Palou kicked off 2026 with a victory at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, followed by a win at Barber Motorsports Park.

AUTO: MAR 29 NTT IndyCar Series Alabama Indy Grand Prix

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda celebrates in Victory Lane with his daughter Lucia after winning the NTT IndyCar Series Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on Sunday March 29, 2026 at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

This article was originally published on Forbes.com