Will Buxton Has a Bold Answer On Alex Palou's F1 Title Chances
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Commentator and former F1 TV host Will Buxton gave his take on IndyCar Champion Alex Palou's chances in Formula 1.
Buxton is a long-time F1 paddock member who started as a reporter and eventually became a TV presenter for the sport's digital streaming platform.
He featured prominently on Netflix's Drive to Survive (DTS), playing a key role in the show becoming so popular and the sport growing stateside.
On DTS, he narrated the dramatic elements of the sport and gave context to specific events, helping new fans learn about the racing series.
Alex Palou, driver of the #10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, poses for a photo during the winner's photo shoot for the NTT IndyCar Series 109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway...
Alex Palou, driver of the #10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, poses for a photo during the winner's photo shoot for the NTT IndyCar Series 109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. More
Photo byBefore the start of the 2025 F1 season, Buxton announced his departure from the broadcast team and revealed his new role at Fox with IndyCar.
He is the lead play-by-play voice for the American racing series - this season, he has observed the greatness of the driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, Alex Palou.
The Spanish sensation secured his fourth IndyCar championship, cementing his status as one of the most dominant racers in the competition's history.
On Sunday, after Palou captured another title, Buxton was asked the following question on X by another user:
"How does an Indy car driver compare to an F1 driver on a skill level? I suppose it's a hard question to answer but why wouldn't Palou pursue that path on his current trajectory? I'm just trying to understand if F1 is completely out of reach for him and what pushes a driver one way or the other," the person asked.
As an expert in both racing series, Buxton is especially able to dissect Palou's chances in F1, and he responded with his take:
"Palou is, hands down, one of the best open-wheel drivers in the world right now. Could he win in F1? Absolutely. With the right car. Would he get the right car though? Unless it's a top 4 team in F1, why walk away from making history in a championship he loves?," Buxton wrote in a post.
Palou is, hands down, one of the best open wheel drivers in the world right now. Could he win in F1? Absolutely. With the right car. Would he get the right car though? Unless it's a top 4 team in F1, why walk away from making history in a championship he loves? https://t.co/08BTWtWxGV — Will Buxton (@wbuxtonofficial) August 10, 2025
How close was Alex Palou to joining F1?
Palou had signed a deal to drive with McLaren's IndyCar team, though he ended up staying with Chip Ganassi instead after winning the 2023 title.
The driver claimed that McLaren promised him an F1 drive, but after the team signed Oscar Piastri, he lost confidence in landing a seat on the grid.
Piastri was younger than Palou and, with Lando Norris cemented as the team's lead driver — he gave up on his F1 dream and stayed in IndyCar.
Since then, he has dominated in America, though Buxton believes there is an alternative universe where Palou is fighting for a F1 title right now.
"I think Palou reneged on McLaren precisely because the F1 road was closed off as soon as they signed Piastri," he wrote.
"But yeah. Had Alpine been better at writing contracts, every chance Palou is leading the F1 championship and Piastri is still at Enstone."
I think Palou reneged on McLaren precisely because the F1 road was closed off as soon as they signed Piastri. But yeah. Had Alpine been better at writing contracts, every chance Palou is leading the F1 championship and Piastri is still at Enstone. — Will Buxton (@wbuxtonofficial) August 10, 2025
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