Championship points leader Spanish racer Alex Palou gets ready for a practice round before the NTT Indycar Series race in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, DC, on August 23, 2026. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of US independence. The race will cover 147 laps of a 1.7-mile, seven-turn street circuit around the National Mall, passing landmarks including the US Capitol and Washington Monument. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)