Palou Motorsport will expand into the Euroformula Open in 2027 after confirming plans to enter three cars in the GT Sport-promoted championship.
The Barcelona-based outfit intends to field three Dallara 324 single-seaters powered by Tom’s engines as it continues to broaden its presence in European junior single-seater racing. Alex Palou, the Indianapolis 500 winner and five-time IndyCar champion, founded the team alongside his father Ramon Palou with a focus on developing young drivers.
Palou Motorsport currently competes in Eurocup-3, where the team has established itself among the championship’s competitive outfits through victories, podium finishes and regular appearances near the front. Its move into Euroformula therefore marks another step in the organisation’s development while also reconnecting Alex Palou with the championship in which he began his single-seater career.
Palou Motorsport targets next stage of expansion
The Euroformula programme will add another category to Palou Motorsport’s growing junior racing operation. The team plans to run three cars from its first season, giving it a substantial presence on the grid immediately rather than approaching the championship with a smaller exploratory entry.
The move also aligns with the team’s stated objective of helping young drivers progress through the single-seater ladder. After building experience and competitiveness in Eurocup-3, Palou Motorsport will now take that structure into a series with a longer history in European formula racing.
Alex Palou highlighted both the sporting opportunity and his personal connection to the championship when confirming the programme.
“I’m really excited about Palou Motorsport joining Euroformula. This championship holds a very special place in my heart, as it was where I competed in my first single-seater championship. Coming back now with our own team feels incredibly meaningful. Our goal is to bring everything we have learned and help young drivers pursue their dreams with the right tools. I can’t wait to get started!”
That connection adds particular significance to the announcement. Palou entered Euroformula in 2014 after graduating from karting and used the championship as the starting point for a single-seater career that eventually took him to the highest levels of American open-wheel racing.
Euroformula played early role in Alex Palou’s career
Palou made his single-seater debut in the championship in 2014 and quickly demonstrated his potential. During that campaign, he secured victories at the Nürburgring, Hungaroring and Barcelona, establishing himself as one of Spain’s emerging racing prospects.
More than a decade later, he will return to the same championship in a different capacity. Instead of competing from the cockpit, Palou will now help oversee a team tasked with providing younger drivers with the opportunity to develop their own careers.
That progression gives the new Euroformula programme an obvious link to Palou Motorsport’s wider philosophy. The team can draw not only on its current Eurocup-3 experience but also on Palou’s first-hand understanding of how the championship can fit within a driver’s development.
Ramon Palou sees Euroformula as key growth opportunity
Ramon Palou also identified Euroformula as an important part of the team’s expansion. While the three-car programme will create a new challenge for the organisation, he believes the championship fits naturally with Palou Motorsport’s longer-term ambitions.
“It’s exciting for Palou Motorsport to join Euroformula in 2027. It is undoubtedly a championship with a great history and guaranteed quality in its competitions. EFO fits perfectly into Palou Motorsport’s growth plans and will certainly be a real challenge, but our goal is to compete at the highest level from the very beginning. I would like to thank Jesús and Jaime Pareja for their warm welcome and for all their support in making this possible.”
The team’s decision to commit three Dallara 324s reinforces that intention. Rather than treating its debut campaign solely as a learning year, Palou Motorsport has set a target of competing near the front from its first season.
Its Eurocup-3 experience should provide a foundation for that transition. Although Euroformula presents different technical and sporting demands, Palou Motorsport already operates within the European junior single-seater environment and has experience managing young drivers across competitive race weekends.
GT Sport welcomes Palou Motorsport to the grid
For Euroformula promoter GT Sport, the arrival of Palou Motorsport adds another established junior single-seater operation to the championship while bringing one of Spanish motorsport’s most recognisable names back into the series.
GT Sport CEO Jesús Pareja welcomed the new team and highlighted the connection between Alex Palou’s earlier career and his return as a team owner.
“We are delighted that a top-level team such as Palou Motorsport is joining the Euroformula Open, and my son Jaime and I would like to thank the Palou family for their trust. We are proud to once again partner with one of the most prominent figures in Spanish motorsport, who left an indelible mark when he competed in the series around twelve years ago. Today’s announcement demonstrates the strength of the Euroformula Open proposition, and we look forward to continuing to expand our grid in the coming years.”
Palou Motorsport’s arrival also gives Euroformula another three-car operation at a time when the championship continues to build its future grid. The team will bring its existing infrastructure, driver-development focus and recent European racing experience into the category.
Palou completes full-circle return to Euroformula
The 2027 entry will ultimately bring Palou’s involvement with Euroformula full circle. The championship provided the platform for his first year in cars in 2014, while his subsequent career took him from European junior racing to multiple IndyCar titles and victory at the Indianapolis 500.
Now, Palou Motorsport will attempt to use the same championship as part of the development pathway for another generation of drivers. With three Dallara 324s planned for its debut season and an ambition to compete at the highest level immediately, the Spanish team enters Euroformula as part of a wider expansion of its single-seater programme.
For Palou himself, the move connects the beginning of his professional racing journey with the team he has since created alongside his father. For Euroformula, meanwhile, the addition of Palou Motorsport brings another established name and a three-car commitment to its 2027 grid.
