The motorsport world was left shocked in late August 2025 when the news broke that Alex Palou was reportedly of interest to Red Bull Racing. The potential pairing of the four-time IndyCar champion with the current F1 champion Max Verstappen for 2026 led to plenty of back and forth between Chip Gansssi and an IndyCar journalist.
Chip Ganassi, his team boss, went even further and called the report “clickbait”. Red Bull’s senior advisor Helmut Marko closed the lid with a simple “That’s not true”. But Palou’s stock and past flirtations with F1 through McLaren meant the conversation continued.
Verstappen on the uncertainty of cross-series move
Even though the rumours were seemingly baseless, they gave a glimpse into how F1’s established stars view IndyCar’s top talent. Verstappen, the man Alex Palou could have been paired with, highlighted the differences between F1 and IndyCar.
During the FIA Drivers’ Press Conference, ahead of the Dutch GP, he said:
“I know Alex already from go-karting times, and I think what he is achieving in IndyCar is incredible. It’s so impressive to see, but it’s impossible to know how people will do in F1 and it’s the same question the other way round – how would you do in Indycar? You have no idea.”
Alonso: “He is Formula 1 level”
Fernando Alonso, who himself sampled IndyCar during his career, was more optimistic about Alex Palou’s chances if an F1 door opened.
“It is a challenge for sure. Well-established drivers and teams here and circuits and these kinds of things, but he has the talent and he has the level to adapt very quickly. Ultimately, it will depend on which car you have. If you are at the back of the grid, it seems that you are not adapting to the category. You are struggling with certain things, and you make more mistakes because you try to overcome those, overdrive sometimes.”
The double world champion added:
“If you are in a fast car, everything is a little bit easier. I don’t know. I think for sure he is a Formula 1 level. If he has the chance, I will be very happy for him.”
Sainz sees the rules reset as the ideal moment for an F1 debut for Palou
Carlos Sainz took a similarly measured approach, recognising Palou’s IndyCar brilliance whilst acknowledging F1’s demands:
“I can only say what I see in IndyCar is that he’s doing an incredible job. F1 is a completely different monster, both as a driver, as a car, but also as a formula. He must be doing things really, really well to dominate the way he’s dominating in such a competitive category.”
Sainz offered particularly insightful analysis about the potential advantages of joining F1 during the sport’s upcoming regulatory reset in 2026. The Spaniard highlighted how regulation changes level the playing field:
“It’s definitely better to come when it’s a reset for everyone. It’s a good time to join the field because you’ve seen it this year, how tough it’s been for teammates already being in F1 when you have a new car or a new team, how difficult it is to adapt.
“When there’s a regulation change, all that, or half of that, goes away. And the teammate only knows the people, but doesn’t know the car, doesn’t know the setup, doesn’t know the tyres, doesn’t know the engine.
“So it’s a bigger reset for sure. So it would be a good time to join F1 if you come from the outside because at least it’s everything new, and also probably the cars will be slower, less demanding physically, more demanding mentally, maybe, less physically.”
Palou has won four titles in five years and sealed eight wins from 16 races in 2025. He wrapped up the championship with two rounds to spare. Palou became the first Spaniard to win the Indy 500 this year.
At 28, Palou has himself said the door may be closed: the learning curve is steep and immediate results would be demanded. But as Sainz pointed out, a regulatory reset gives you windows of opportunity, and Alonso thinks he has the talent. For now, it’s just a rumour, dismissed by Red Bull, Palou and his team and it needs to be seen how this story develops going forward.
