Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing Are Only Getting Started With OpenAI

OpenAI first partnered with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2025, and the pair, alongside five-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou, have only continued learning from there. With OpenAI's new film R&D Part 2 out now, he dove into the partnership with Grand Prix on SI.

Alex Palou - Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach | Via Penske Entertainment, Travis Hinkle

Alex Palou shows up to the track every weekend hoping that he and his No. 10 crew are the most prepared out of the 25 IndyCar crews in the pit lane. Whether it is a race weekend that Palou has won three times, or a track like the National Mall with no historic data, there is a backstop that his team has been able to lean on to make them even faster.

That backstop? OpenAI. The partnership started in February 2025 as a research collaboration and has only grown since – sponsorship of all three Chip Ganassi Racing cars, then a primary sponsorship of the No. 10 throughout several races this season – including the Freedom 250.

That race, win or not, is the focus of R&D Part 2, the second film in OpenAI's series with Box-to-Box Films. It follows the No. 10 crew and Palou inside the shop, simulator, and on track as they work alongside OpenAI researcher Joyce Ruffell to build for a track with zero historical data and only six months to prepare.

The race may have ended poorly for Palou, but the season ended with his fifth IndyCar title and a record 18th championship for Chip Ganassi Racing. But according to Palou, the team is only scratching the surface of what AI can do for them.

Building Strategy for a Track that Didn't Exist

Becoming comfortable with the software was not an issue for Palou and the team. Even before OpenAI arrived at the shop, he was already using ChatGPT. Where the surprise came was that he expected the partnership to handle small, surface-level tasks. Two seasons in, and one marquee race behind him, that scope has changed completely.

After all, modern IndyCar, as with most motorsports, runs on data. A race weekend doesn't leave much time to sort through that data, which is where Palou has found the most value alongside his team.

"We have so many sensors in the car, and in order to go faster, we need to go through so much data. We have maybe an hour in between sessions, and it's crucial to just see the important bits that can make us faster."

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing.

Aug 23, 2026; Washington, D.C., USA; Chip Ganassi Racing driver Alex Palou (10) stands on the race circuit during driver introductions as part of pre-race ceremonies for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on the street circuit at National Mall. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The true test for the team wasn't a track like St. Petersburg or Detroit, where Palou and co. are comfortable; it was Washington, D.C. The team had six months to prepare for the 1.7-mile street circuit that no one had a single lap of data for beyond a simulator.

So, powered by their OpenAI tools, CGR worked backward. They compared the track's straights and corners against circuits that they already knew to build simulations and data models.

"What ride heights do we use in, let's say, Detroit and what would it be when we go to Washington? Knowing more or less how much bumps there are, how long the straight is and the kind of corner... OpenAI could help us get those."

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

It worked on Saturday when Palou took pole with over half a second on Kyle Kirkwood and Andretti. On Sunday, two problem pit stops and a spin dropped him to 20th, but even so, the model was there. According to Palou, they "had the fastest car", but as humans do, mistakes were made.

Aug 23, 2026; Washington, D.C., USA; Chip Ganassi Racing driver Alex Palou (10) races during the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on the street circuit at National Mall. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The partnership through 2026 was always about being faster while balancing that human element of the sport. After all, even a five-time IndyCar champion is fallible.

Striking a Balance and Learning to Trust the Software

The harder question, when looking at the OpenAI and Chip Ganassi Racing partnership, is what to do when the modeling and data disagree with the people who are at the top of their craft. Two seasons in, and Palou admits that they're still working that out.

"We're trying to understand when to fully trust it. The experience that maybe some team members, engineers, or mechanics might have balanced with the data. So we're going through that now and in the offseason, trying to understand how to use it even better."

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Making a strategy call is the clearest example for Palou. A model may find the fastest strategy on paper, but it may not be able to accurately predict other factors. Palou placed his focus on a race like Markham, where half the race was littered with cautions that dramatically changed the strategy and placed it in the hands of the team.

Apr 17, 2026; Long Beach, California, USA; Chip Ganassi Racing driver Alex Palou (10) during free practice at Long Beach Street Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He added that this is the major focus this offseason. With Chip Ganassi's team owner saying he wants to push the whole organization to get more out of technology over the winter, Palou agrees that his goal is to get straight to the information that matters to him as the driver, with the help of OpenAI.

The bigger opportunity, though, may come in 2028 when IndyCar introduces its new car. With limited testing, Palou expects their OpenAI partners will speed up simulation work and truly help the team understand the car.

"It would be huge if we know exactly what the tire deg, for example, is going to be with this new car. We will be able to hopefully make decisions a lot faster or get better data."

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Despite all this progress, Palou admits that as AI continues to change and evolve, their understanding of the tools available to them evolves as well.

"We're only using 10 percent of the capabilities now because it's so new and it keeps on getting better so quickly that we're just trying to keep up."

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Palou added that this element of learning, discovery, and development adds an element of 'fun' – even when he is dominating the championship – learning something new about the car and his driving.

Alex Palou will chase a sixth championship in 2027 and turn his attention to a new car in 2028 with the help of OpenAI.