INDIANAPOLIS, In. – Alex Palou will pay tribute to motorsports legend Alex Zanardi by driving a special No. 10 DHL Honda featuring Chip Ganassi Racing’s iconic lightning bolt livery at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca next month.
The special design, announced Thursday by Chip Ganassi Racing and DHL, will debut during practice on Sept. 4 before Palou takes the car into the season finale Sept. 6. The throwback livery celebrates Zanardi’s legacy with Chip Ganassi Racing and marks the 30th anniversary of one of the most famous passes in IndyCar history.
“I’m so excited to get the lightning bolt back on our car,” Palou said. “We’re racing in memory of Alex Zanardi. We’re racing at Laguna, his place, his corner.”
Zanardi made the lightning bolt design famous during his time with Chip Ganassi Racing from 1996 through 1998. He won back-to-back IndyCar championships in 1997 and 1998 and captured 15 races with the team.
The Laguna Seca weekend carries an especially powerful connection to Zanardi. The 2026 race falls 30 years after his legendary last-lap pass on Bryan Herta through the Corkscrew during the 1996 season finale. The dramatic move helped Zanardi win the race and secure Rookie of the Year honors, instantly becoming one of the defining moments of his career.
Palou has also developed a remarkable record at Laguna Seca. The four-time IndyCar champion has won three of his last four races at the circuit and has finished on the podium in all five of his IndyCar starts there.
The tribute comes after Zanardi’s death on May 1, 2026, at age 59. Beyond his success in IndyCar, Zanardi became an international symbol of determination after a 2001 racing accident resulted in the amputation of both legs. He returned to motorsport and later became a world-class para-cyclist, winning four Paralympic gold medals and 12 Para-cycling World Championship titles.
For Palou, the lightning bolt represents more than a piece of racing history. It connects the current No. 10 Honda to one of Chip Ganassi Racing’s greatest eras while honoring a driver whose influence continues to reach far beyond the racetrack.
“And on top of that, it’s the 30th anniversary of CGR’s and Honda’s first INDYCAR championship,” Palou said. “So, we’re putting everything together for the fans, for ourselves, as well. And hopefully it’s a great race for the No. 10 DHL car.”
When Palou rolls onto the Laguna Seca circuit with the lightning bolt on his Honda, the image will serve as a bridge between IndyCar’s past and present — and a fitting tribute to Zanardi at the very corner that helped make him a legend.
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