F1 Rumour: Two Teams Show Interest In Alex Palou For 2024 Seat
At the forefront of the IndyCar championship, Alex Palou has garnered attention from a couple of Formula 1 teams, stirring rumours about a potential F1 seat opening for him in 2024.
Currently, Palou skillfully manages his role as an IndyCar competitor with Chip Ganassi Racing alongside his responsibilities as an F1 reserve driver for McLaren. He's caught the eye of the British team, who attempted to recruit him for their 2023 IndyCar team and is projected to succeed in their next attempt for the 2024 season, barring Palou's decision to venture into an F1 race seat elsewhere.
The reigning 2021 IndyCar champ has already dipped his toes into that of the F1 circuit. He participated in a Friday practice session at Austin's United States Grand Prix last year under the Papaya colour.
Now, speculation suggests he's slated for another run once the current IndyCar season wraps up in September, due to his formalised reserve position at McLaren F! in this season. Having earnt a superlicense at the the 2021 IndyCar championship, Palou's impressive performance sees him lead this year's championship and catch the eye of several teams, but what are the chances of him actually getting this?
Palou's contractual obligations with Ganassi add a layer of complexity to his situation. Until September, his existing contract forbids him from negotiating with other teams. But this hasn't stopped his management company putting out the feelers so far this season.
As we know, there aren't many seats available at the end of this year, with the majority of the grid hunkered down for at least another year with their prospective teams. But Haas's driver future is current unknown. As is AlphaTauri's, and maybe even Williams if American Logan Sargeant isn't sticking around.
According to The Race, Alfa and Haas are either happy with their current lineup or are looking elsewhere. So AlphaTauri and Williams seem the obvious options, with the former being rumoured to be open to the Spanish Racing Driver when Nyck de Vries was rumoured to be leaving. On top of that, apparently talks have also taken place.
Now, the interesting bit here is, despite his contract with McLaren, if he gets permission from the team then he is able to get another seat. And with McLaren seemingly very happy with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, I don't see why they wouldn't let Palou assess the field, unless of course, they think he's fast enough to be a danger, or want to keep him competitive in IndyCar.
End of July usually sees silly season come to an end, so we'll find out soon if he's been able to break into the F1 fold. But I have to admit, I highly doubt it. The grid is incredibly competitive right now, and with his IndyCar success continuing, it could be at least another year before we see Palou being released by his team.