Alex Palou cemented his fourth IndyCar Championship in the last five seasons at Portland International Raceway, after title contender Pato O’Ward lost power early in the race. In addition to this latest success, Palou also claimed championships in 2021, 2023, and 2024, further solidifying his dominance in the series. Following his title win, rumours circulated earlier this week suggesting that Red Bull Racing is in talks to sign Palou for the 2026 F1 season.
During a media session attended by Pit Debrief and other outlets, team owner Chip Ganassi firmly denied the claims. He clarified that neither Palou nor his management had been approached and dismissed the rumours as baseless “clickbait” following a report by the IndyStar.
“I read that myself. There was nobody quoted in there. I talk to Palou. Palou said he’s never talked to anybody, doesn’t know anything about it. I talked to his management. They know nothing about it. I know nothing about it.”
“I think it’s a clickbait story. Somebody needs to brush up their investigative journalism.”
Is the biggest threat ourselves?
When Ganassi was asked whether Formula 1 posed the biggest threat to Alex Palou and his team, he redirected the focus inward. Reflecting on the team’s mindset, Ganassi remarked that the biggest threat comes from within, stating, “the biggest threat is ourselves.”
“Look, let me say this. Everybody wants a driver that everybody else wants to have. That means you have something that’s really valuable, okay?
“Do I think Formula 1’s the biggest threat? You know what I think the biggest threat is, the biggest threat is ourselves, each of us. Each of us is our biggest threat, okay?
“I work to create the best possible environment for our people. It’s the same for our drivers. I work to give them the best possible environment. That’s all I know how to do. It seems to be working.
“Like I said, Alex had an opportunity to leave and he didn’t. I don’t know what else to tell you. I take him at his word when he says he likes it here and he’s having a great time.”
The opportunity Ganassi referred to dates back to 2022, when Palou attempted to join McLaren and transition into their IndyCar program, a move that quickly landed him in hot water. McLaren initially allowed him to serve as a test driver, even making his F1 debut in Practice at COTA in 2022 under a multi-year agreement.
However, Palou later decided to walk away from McLaren, which triggered a lengthy legal battle that is still ongoing.
Would Palou be as happy in F1 at Red Bull as he is now in IndyCar?
Ganassi was then asked whether Palou would be as happy in Formula 1 as he is in IndyCar. He added that he isn’t sure if F1 holds the same appeal it once did and emphasized that he wouldn’t want to see Palou relegated to a number two driver role.
“I don’t know. I would hope so. I mean, I think Alex is more like a brother to me than anything else. Like I said earlier, I take him for his word what he says to me.
“I mean, I don’t know that the draw there is what it used to be when we were growing up. There’s two or three coveted seats there. Outside of that, I wouldn’t want to see him go to be a number two driver anywhere.”
Ganassi added that, every now and then, he receives a call from someone in Formula 1, but he doesn’t feel the need to announce it publicly, stating, “I don’t call the press up and say, ‘I got a phone call from somebody.’
“I don’t stop people from doing those kind of things. Yeah, I focus on what we do. I mean, I think it’s not too long… Every time I get a call from a Formula 1 driver, I don’t call the press up and say, I got a phone call from somebody, they want to come drive INDYCARs. We get calls all the time from Formula 1 drivers.
“They go this way, that way. I don’t think it’s as interesting a thing as it used to be, the draw one way or the other for that matter. I think they’re both very specialized anymore. I don’t know how you go from winning the biggest race in the world to one that’s not. I don’t know.”
