With the summer break finally coming to a close to kick-start the final ten rounds of the 2025 season, there still remain a couple of seats on the F1 grid next year that are yet to be decided.
A name which has emerged as a candidate for one of those seats is the current IndyCar champion, Alex Palou.
Yuki Tsunoda’s performances at Red Bull signify that a change in environment may be imminent for the Japanese driver, and F1 fans want to see Alex Palou in Red Bull colours instead.
If the move does end up happening, it wouldn’t be the first time that Palou would be partnering with Max Verstappen. The two age-mates previously teamed up together during their karting days.
Palou hailed Verstappen as the ‘fastest’ when it comes to single-seater racing, citing that the two drivers have done simulator work in the past, and he has been able to study the Dutchman’s telemetry in the past.
READ MORE: Will Buxton shares what he would ‘love and hate’ about IndyCar star Alex Palou signing for Red Bull
James Hinchcliffe thinks it would be ‘counterintuitive’ for Red Bull to sign Alex Palou
Speaking to F1 in a reaction to Cadillac’s recent announcement, former IndyCar star James Hinchcliffe was asked for his expert opinion on the rumours linking the four-time IndyCar champion to a potential seat at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen.
“I heard the same thing for the first time this past weekend at the race in Milwaukee, which he once again performed admirably at,” Hinchcliffe said, referring to Palou’s second-place finish at the penultimate IndyCar event of the season.
Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images
“That’s a tough one. I get that there are a lot of obvious reasons why his name could be in the mix for a seat in F1. It seems for all the drivers that Red Bull already has access to, adding another one to the mix seems maybe counterintuitive.
“You can’t forget that he’s in the middle of a legal battle over breaking contracts, and he is contracted to Chip Ganassi Racing. So, it would have to be pretty advantageous for CGR to let him go.
“So, to me, that one is a great rumour, and I think a lot of people would love to see it for a lot of reasons. I don’t know how much truth there is behind it, though.”
READ MORE: Helmut Marko might have already ruled out Red Bull signing Alex Palou as Max Verstappen’s teammate
What is Alex Palou’s current contract situation at Chip Ganassi Racing in IndyCar?
Alex Palou has raced as part of the Chip Ganassi Racing set-up since 2021 after making his IndyCar debut with Dayle Coyne Racing in the year prior. The Spanish driver went on to win his first IndyCar title in his first season with CGR, beating two-time champion Josef Newgarden.
In stark similarity to Oscar Piastri’s contract saga between Alpine and McLaren, the Spanish driver has also been caught in the middle of a contract dispute between CGR and McLaren’s IndyCar entry.
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I have recently learned from the media that this afternoon, without my approval, Chip Ganassi Racing issued a press release announcing that I would be driving with CGR in 2023. Even more surprising was that CGR’s release included a “quote” which did not come from me.
— Alex Palou Montalbo (@AlexPalou) July 12, 2022
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In July 2022, CGR announced that it had exercised an option on Palou’s contract for the 2023 season. Hours later, however, Palou took to Twitter (now X) to say that the announcement was unauthorised and that he actually intended to leave CGR in favour of McLaren.
The two sides later reached an agreement which allowed Palou to race for CGR in 2023 and serve as McLaren’s F1 reserve driver, whilst also honouring his current multi-year extension, which would see him stay at the team until at least the end of 2026.
The Spaniard later withdrew from the agreement with McLaren, and is currently in the midst of a legal battle, in which he is being sued by the Woking-based outfit for breach of contract.