Palou and Verstappen compare performance data – Alex Palou has become the dominant force in North America’s Indycar racing series. In six short seasons since making his debut in 2020, the Spanish driver has racked up four drivers’ titles, 19 wins, 43 podiums and 12 pole positions.
North America’s premier single seat racing series over the years has changed names, even splitting into two rival championships, but it is now represented by the NTT Indycar brand. In the history of the various series as with F1 the record for the number of championships claimed by a driver stands at seven, with AJ Foyt sitting one ahead of current Indycar driver Scott Dixon.
Palou is now third on the all time list with four championships and prior to a late caution in Milwaukee last weekend, Palou was heading for the all time record of season wins – 10 – also set by Foyt. His masterclass in short track oval racing was only to be denied by exciting young driver Christian Rasmussen, who gambled on a late stop for fresh rubber, which paid off, as he claimed his maiden victory in Indycar.
Last driver from Indycar to F1
Formula 1 hasn’t seen a full-time IndyCar driver make the leap across the pond since 2008, when Red Bull-backed Toro Rosso handed Sebastian Bourdais his long-awaited debut. A four-time Champ Car champion between 2004 and 2007, Bourdais arrived with big expectations but managed only six points from 27 starts before losing his seat midway through 2009 to Jaime Alguersuari, who became the sport’s youngest starter at the time.
Since then, the IndyCar-to-F1 pathway has fallen quiet. Pietro Fittipaldi briefly stood in for Romain Grosjean at Haas in 2020, but no permanent moves followed. That could change in 2026, with Red Bull reportedly eyeing Alex Palou as a potential recruit.
Like Bourdais, Palou is a four-time champion and the standout driver of his era in IndyCar. The Spaniard began his career in Europe and crossed paths with Max Verstappen in karting, where the two briefly shared a team. Should Red Bull and Chip Ganassi find common ground, Palou could line up alongside Verstappen — a prospect that has generated intrigue throughout the paddock.
Sim racing team mates
Palou has always been realistic about the comparison. Earlier this year, he told Always Race Day that Verstappen was “probably the fastest in a single seater” and admitted he wasn’t sure how he measured up. In a 2023 interview with Spanish outlet AS, he went further, explaining that simulator work with Red Bull confirmed Verstappen as “a special case.” Their paths never fully overlapped in Europe, with Palou heading to America just as Verstappen rose through the junior ranks, but the pair maintain a good personal relationship through sim racing.
In the intervening period, Palou’s mastery of motorsport has come on leaps and bounds and similar data comparisons today might prove the pair are much closer in terms of performance than people might think.
One of the options Red Bull are actively weighing is Palou, and F1 and Indycar broadcaster Will Buxton has shared his thoughts on the speculation. Reacting to reports, Buxton admitted he would “love and hate this in equal measure.”
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Buxton backs Palou F1 challenge
“Would love it for him and because I think he’s one of the very best racers in open wheel right now and would surprise a lot of people, showing the world just how high the level is in IndyCar,” Buxton said. “Would hate it because that second Red Bull seat has a hex on it, one which even Palou might struggle to overcome.
“And also because not only do I want to see the IndyCar field take the fight to him in 2026 and challenge the champion, but I want to see just how many titles he could achieve in IndyCar, given how young he is and how much scope there still is for him to get even better.”
Despite the links, Spanish outlet MARCA has reported that Palou’s camp has given a “negative” response to suggestions of a move. His manager Roger Yasukawa confirmed: “We haven’t spoken to anyone from Formula 1 about Alex.”
Palou and Verstappen are teammates in sim racing, and have a ‘good personal relationship’, but that appears to be as far as it’s going to go ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Tougher to dominate in Indycar
Meanwhile, Red Bull has other considerations. Team principal Laurent Mekies is hoping Yuki Tsunoda can rediscover form after the summer break and keep himself in contention for a senior seat. Elsewhere, the 2026 grid is already filling fast: Ferrari will continue with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, McLaren is locked in with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and Mercedes will surely resign both their drivers, now all hope of Landing Verstappen for 2026 has gone.
Being a “spec” series where all the cars are designed and built by Dallara, dominating in Indycar is more difficult than in F1. This was never made more clear than by the fact that for seventeen consecutive years, the Indycar title was decided at the last weekend of the season. By winning the championship with two races remaining this season, Palou set a record last seen back in 2002.
For now, Palou appears content to remain in IndyCar, where he continues to set the standard and add to his championship tally. But the idea of him stepping into Formula 1 alongside Verstappen remains one of the most intriguing “what ifs” on the horizon — a crossover that would test one of America’s brightest talents against the sport’s most dominant force.
FIA/Pirelli changes to improve F1 spectacle in Zandvoort
With the performance of the modern Formula One cars so predictable, Formula One has been heading down the rabbit hole where races are becoming ever more predictable. Whilst not quite reaching the levels seen in the Schumacher era, the 2025 season has been described as becoming a “qualifying formula.”
This may well change in 2026, with bold new car designs which include driver operated moveable aero systems, previously banned in F1. The hope is by removing the large downforce rear wings along the straights, the turbulent air for the car behind will be reduced making following more closely possible.
The up coming race in Zandvoort will be the penultimate F1 event before the circuit retires from the calendar and the race around the sand dunes along the coast of the Netherlands has had its fair share of critics. The Grand Prix has typically been a one stop affair decided by the teams’ strategists, but Pirelli and the FIA hope this year’s edition will break that pattern. Two measures are in place to achieve this; firstly Pirelli are hoping to encourage the teams to use more sets of tyres on Sunday and the FIA are attempting to make each stop less punitive to the drivers’ overall race time….. READ MORE
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