Ganassi shuts down rumours of Palou joining Red Bull F1

Credit: Joe Skibinski

Chip Ganassi has firmly dismissed reports that newly-crowned four-time IndyCar champion Álex Palou could depart the series at the end of the season amid links to Red Bull Racing’s Formula One team.

The Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) team owner read the reports but claimed in a media call on Tuesday that neither the team, Palou nor Palou’s management had heard anything from the winners of the last four F1 Drivers’ Championships. 

“I talked to Palou; Palou said he’s never talked to anybody, doesn’t know anything about it,” Ganassi said. “I talked to his management; they know nothing about it. I know nothing about it. I think it’s a clickbait story. Somebody needs to brush up their investigative journalism. 

“Of course I don’t want to lose him. Who wants to lose somebody good? He had an opportunity to leave [amid a role with McLaren’s F1 team in 2022 and 2023] and he decided to stay. I don’t know how many times I have to say that. Everybody can see that.”

In Ganassi’s categoric view, the legendary driver-team combination will continue and Palou will return to the No.10 car in 2026.

“No other expectation,” he concisely said. 

In 2025, Palou has become only the eighth individual driver to win eight races in a single IndyCar season - only three drivers ever managing more - including a legacy-defining Indianapolis 500 victory in May. Clinching the championship with two races to spare, he is only the fourth driver to win three successive IndyCar titles.

Inside only six years in the series - five with CGR - at only 28 years old and before hitting a century of races in the series, Palou has also become only the sixth driver to win four championships, with only the great AJ Foyt and Scott Dixon with more titles to their name.

Credit: Red Bull Racing

Ganassi does not see F1 interest as the biggest threat to an already-record-toppling career.

“Everybody wants a driver that everybody else wants to have. That means you have something that’s really valuable,” Ganassi said. “Do I think Formula One’s the biggest threat? You know what I think the biggest threat is, the biggest threat is ourselves - each of us. Each of us is our biggest threat, okay? 

“I work to create the best possible environment for our people. It’s the same for our drivers. I work to give them the best possible environment. That’s all I know how to do. It seems to be working.

“Like I said, Álex had an opportunity to leave and he didn’t. I don’t know what else to tell you. I take him at his word when he says he likes it here and he’s having a great time.”

Could Palou succeed in F1? Ganassi would not be drawn on what he labelled the as the “hypothetical world”. Another robust statement of intent. And in the CGR owner’s eyes, F1 is not the attractive prospect he believes some people regard it as.

In fact, he claims he is regularly contacted by drivers from the F1 world interested in IndyCar.

“Álex is more like a brother to me than anything else,” Ganassi said. “I take him for his word what he says to me. I don’t know that the draw there is what it used to be when we were growing up. There’s two or three coveted seats there. 

“Outside of that, I wouldn’t want to see him go to be a No.2 driver anywhere. I don’t stop people from doing those kind of things… I focus on what we do. Every time I get a call from a Formula One driver, I don’t call the press up and say: “I got a phone call from somebody, they want to come drive Indy cars. We get calls all the time from Formula 1 drivers. 

Credit: Paul Hurley

“They go this way, that way. I don’t think it’s as interesting a thing as it used to be, the draw one way or the other for that matter. I think they’re both very specialised. I don’t know how you go from winning the biggest race in the world to one that’s not.”

Backstory: Palou’s previous F1 attempt

This is not the first time Palou has been linked to an F1 move. 

In September 2022, he commenced a test programme with an outing at his home track, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with McLaren - with a view to a possible full-time drive with the team. He made his race weekend debut in Free Practice 1 at the United States Grand Prix the following month.

He was subsequently announced as McLaren’s reserve driver for 2023. But upon Daniel Ricciardo’s departure from the team at the end of that season, confirmed that summer, McLaren opted to pair Lando Norris with rookie Oscar Piastri as opposed to turning to Palou. 

With the Norris-Piastri pairing evidently a long-term lineup and the door appearing shut for Palou, he diverted his attention away from F1 and back to IndyCar.

“After my 2021 championship, I thought it was a good moment [to pursue an F1 move],” Palou told DIVEBOMB last month. “I was still young-ish - 24 I believe. It’s still the start of your career and you already have an IndyCar championship under your belt. So you can do an all-in and try and make it to F1. 

“The reason why is because I think everybody would agree that it’s the highest single-seater  series out there. It’s worldwide, it’s the biggest manufacturers and it’s just different skills that you need there. So in my opinion, it was a good moment to just go there, give it a try. 

“I had a small opportunity of just trying the car, getting a free practice, just try and showcase what I would be capable of doing. And unfortunately that wasn’t enough.”

Credit: McLaren

Palou’s initial deal with McLaren included the prospect of a drive for their IndyCar team, Arrow McLaren, for 2023. But contractual disputes ensued with a deal with CGR already in place for that season, which Palou was ultimately made to honour.

Remaining in CGR’s No.10 car in 2023, he dominated the season and took a second championship. Off the back of that, despite an Arrow McLaren drive being on the table for 2024 - the alternative to an F1 seat amid Palou’s reserve role - the lack of pathway to an F1 seat saw Palou enact a U-turn and remain with CGR.

Ties were cut by McLaren - with Palou still in his reserve role for the F1 team - and still-ongoing legal proceedings triggered by Zak Brown’s outfit over losses amid claims that Palou broke a contract. Since then, Palou has admitted F1 has gradually disappeared from his mind.

“I thought that was it, that was my train,” Palou told DIVEBOMB. “It’s not that I’ve ever had an opportunity but that was like my opportunity. And I had to decide to keep on knocking that door for maybe no reason or focus on what I already love, what I already have and what I have an opportunity to win championships and 500s. 

“Now in my mind, I’m not thinking at all about F1. Maybe in ’22, I was still thinking a little bit; ’23, I was like one percent [thinking about it]. But that’s now not anymore. The age and also the experience I had there and what I’m able to probably build here in America and in IndyCar, this is my focus. 

“I have such a good place here on private life and also racing life that there’s probably almost no places that I would rather be. Waking up every single day for the next 10 years, knowing that I have a chance of beating our competition every single weekend, that motivates me a lot.”

Credit: Chris Owens

Now a four-time champion, Palou’s decision to put his full focus on IndyCar has paid off. He has become a legend of the sport, has won everything there is to win - essentially in record time - and has the chance to continue to forge one of racing’s great dynasties stateside. 

But not a driver too fixated on records, if interest does arrive, could the prospect of a seat at Red Bull - in a trickier year but proven winners, albeit with Max Verstappen’s teammates tending to struggle - turn Palou’s head once more if they do indeed come calling?

That much still remains to be seen. But for now, at least as emphatically stated by the Ganassi camp, any interest would not appear to be likely to come to fruition.