logo
Indy 500 winner 'should be given a chance' as F1 star begs team to sign him

Indy 500 winner 'should be given a chance' as F1 star begs team to sign him

Daily Mirror30-05-2025
Alex Palou won the Indy 500 for the first time last weekend and the three-time IndyCar champion is now being linked with a Formula 1 drive in the future – if he wants one
Carlos Sainz is adamant that "dominant" Alex Palou should be given a chance to prove what he can do in Formula 1. That call comes after the Spaniard won the famous Indy 500 race for the first time last weekend.
It was just the latest in a long list of impressive accomplishments managed by Palou in recent years. He never made it to F1 after a brief spell racing in Formula 2 and moved to Japanese Super Formula before joining the IndyCar grid, where he has thrived.

Palou made his debut in the US racing series five years ago and has already become a three-time champion. He looks increasingly likely to secure his fourth crown this year as he is more than 100 points clear of nearest challenger Pato O'Ward, his Indy 500 victory marking five wins from six starts so far in 2025.

Sainz knows his compatriot very well having competed against him in junior racing categories. "I always rated Alex very highly because I was his team mate in cadets and he was very quick in cadet karting," the Williams F1 star said.
Sign up to our free weekly F1 newsletter, Pit Lane Chronicle, by entering your email address below so that every new edition lands straight in your inbox!

"But honestly speaking, what he's doing in America is something really admirable. I think to dominate in the way he's dominating, you have to be very good at what you're doing. Formula 1 is a completely different discipline, different world, but I don't have anything else but respect and admiration for what Alex is doing in Indy.
"I think someone that is capable of winning the Indy 500, at least he should at some point be given the chance to show what he can do in Formula 1. And if he's quick enough in Formula 1, then he should be welcomed in Formula 1."
Fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso is equally impressed with Palou's success but doesn't see why he would need to switch from IndyCar to F1. "I know that most of the drivers dream about a Formula 1 seat and having a career here, but he had the opportunity in IndyCar and he maximised every single day there," said the Aston Martin racer.

"He's a legend in IndyCar and he will be a legend always in IndyCar, so I think he's not missing Formula 1. I'm very happy for him because he's a very, very talented driver. We are just following him from here with a lot of respect and as a fan. I was watching on Sunday the race and just hoping that he would finally make it, and he did it, so I'm happy for him."
Palou drove in one F1 practice session for McLaren in 2022, at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. But he split from the outfit in 2023 after reneging on an agreement to join the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team, choosing instead to stick with Chip Ganassi Racing. He flew to London for talks in January this year with the £24million lawsuit still ongoing.
In any case, after his Indy 500 win, Palou insisted he is not currently interested in quitting IndyCar for F1. "I don't want to leave now," he said. "[F1] is not calling me anymore. I still follow it – it's a huge series, it's amazing, I'm a big fan – but I don't think they're having as much fun as I'm having here."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Laurent Mekies makes Christian Horner admission in first Red Bull press conference
Laurent Mekies makes Christian Horner admission in first Red Bull press conference

The Independent

time17 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Laurent Mekies makes Christian Horner admission in first Red Bull press conference

New Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies admitted he does not know why Christian Horner was relieved of his duties a fortnight ago. French engineer Mekies, previously team principal at Red Bull's sister F1 team Racing Bulls, has taken over from Horner and is at the helm this weekend for the Belgian Grand Prix. Mekies previously enjoyed a near-decade stint at Toro Rosso, the old name for Red Bull's sister team, and also has experience to his name at Ferrari and the FIA. Yet a brief Red Bull statement announcing Horner's departure did not spell out the specific reason why the Briton lost his job, with drivers Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda also unable to give a clear cause on Thursday. When asked if Red Bull bosses Oliver Mintzlaff and Helmut Marko have informed him why he was replacing Horner, Mekies responded: 'The short answer is no they haven't. We didn't get into the why or why now.' Speaking for the first time in an FIA press conference setting on Friday at Spa-Francorchamps, Mekies revealed that he has been in contact with Horner and paid tribute to his work over 20 years at Red Bull Racing. 'Yes we have spoken, he has been nothing other than supportive,' the 48-year-old said. 'Even this morning and yesterday, we texted. It's very impressive in the context. 'I got a call from Oliver and Helmut a few hours before [the announcement]. They asked me if I was interested, it came out of the blue. It was difficult to digest. 'My first thoughts go to Christian, it's not something I could have expected. He has been extremely supportive with me in these last two years, he brought me back to the Red Bull family. 'That's the mix of emotions you get but the dominant one is Red Bull calling. It's a matter of loyalty to the brand.' The future of Red Bull's star driver, four-time world champion Verstappen, has been shrouded in speculation in recent months, with Mercedes lurking in the background. Mekies did not comment directly on the Dutchman's future but acknowledged that his driver's ambitions for the team this season are simple. 'Max wants a fast car,' he said. 'If we get him a fast car, it cancels out all the other stuff. It's about building the next step of competitiveness and, hence, to make it an easy call for Max. 'All I've been seeing in these two weeks is incredible talent and racing spirit at the team. These guys go to the edge, there's not a single department which is lying back. They are really at war, if I may say, in every single aspect.' Verstappen was second-fastest in the one and only practice session on Friday, with McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri topping the timesheet, ahead of sprint qualifying later this afternoon.

Barcelona's friendly against Vissel Kobe back on after contractual issues resolved
Barcelona's friendly against Vissel Kobe back on after contractual issues resolved

Reuters

timean hour ago

  • Reuters

Barcelona's friendly against Vissel Kobe back on after contractual issues resolved

July 25 (Reuters) - Barcelona's pre-season friendly against Japanese side Vissel Kobe is back on after the Spanish club and the promoter for the match resolved the contractual issues that earlier caused the game to be suspended, the LaLiga side said on Friday. The Spanish champions were on their way to Japan for Sunday's clash that will kick off an Asia tour, with matches against South Korean sides FC Seoul and Daegu FC scheduled on July 31 and August 4, Barcelona added in a statement.

Piastri fastest in Belgian GP first practice
Piastri fastest in Belgian GP first practice

BBC News

timean hour ago

  • BBC News

Piastri fastest in Belgian GP first practice

Belgian Grand PrixVenue: Spa Dates: 25-27 July Race start: 14:00 BST on SundayCoverage: Live commentary of practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 with race on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app McLaren's Oscar Piastri set a blistering pace in practice at the Belgian Grand Australian, the world championship leader, was 0.404 seconds quicker than Max Verstappen's Red Bull with the second McLaren of Lando Norris a further 0.1secs was making all his time in the middle sector, the site of most of the corners on the demanding Spa-Francorchamps was nearly a second faster than Verstappen there, and although the Red Bull driver clawed back some pace on the straights of sectors one and three, the advantage was decisive over a using the same higher-downforce set-up as Piastri for speed in the middle sector, made a mistake on his first flying lap on the soft tyres, and set his time on his second lap, when the tyres were past their differences highlighted the classic quandary of set-up at Spa - trim the car out for the straights and better chances of overtaking, but lose time in the corners; or go for cornering pace but risk being vulnerable in a racing situation.A forecast of rain for Sunday complicates the picture for the teams. This is a sprint weekend, with sprint qualifying later on Friday before the sprint race starting Saturday's activities. Grand Prix qualifying starts later on Saturday before the main event on George Russell was fourth fastest, split from his team-mate Kimi Antonelli by Ferrari's Charles Hamilton was seventh in the second Ferrari, both cars using a new rear suspension design aimed at allowing them to run the car lower, ahead of the Aston Martins of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso and Isack Hadjar's Racing driving under new team principal Laurent Mekies for the first time following the sacking of Christian Horner, is using an upgrade on the Red Bull that includes new front wing and suspension aerodynamics and revised - for whom Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon were 11th and 12th - also have an upgrade, focused on a new floor.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store