Alex Palou has won three of four IndyCar championships since joining Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021. But he perhaps made the most headlines in the year he didn't win it, back in 2022 when contract drama was the story of his season.
That summer, Palou signed with McLaren for 2023 and beyond, but Chip Ganassi Racing exercised their option to keep him in the No. 10 Honda. A legal battle ensued, with Palou himself aiming to break free from his Ganassi contract, at which point there was speculation that Ganassi may replace him mid-season. But Ganassi won it and retained the 2021 champ for 2023.
The initial belief was, given Ganassi's allowance for Palou's Formula 1 reserve deal with McLaren, that Palou would make the move to the McLaren IndyCar team in 2024. But as the 2023 season progressed, that became increasingly unlikely.
It was obvious that Palou was moving to McLaren for a Formula 1 opportunity, and by that point, McLaren had gotten out of Daniel Ricciardo's contract a year early and given the seat to Oscar Piastri. It was fairly clear that, with Piastri and Lando Norris, McLaren were set for the long haul.
Like everybody else, Palou saw this, and he opted to remain with Chip Ganassi Racing, setting up another legal battle since he effectively reneged on his McLaren deal. All things considered, it was an understandable decision on Palou's part, given the fact that he had been under the impression that he could get a Formula 1 shot and that was out the window.
All Palou has done since is win two more IndyCar championships (2023 and 2024), and he has won five of seven races to start the 2025 season, including his first Indy 500.
Alex Palou landing spot ruled out for 2026
When Palou won the Indy 500, the Formula 1 talk re-emerged, given the fact that he has now checked off every major box there is to check off in the IndyCar world. He is already probably higher on most fans' all-time rankings than any active driver not named Scott Dixon, and he just turned 28.
So naturally, his named has been brought up as a top option for the new American Cadillac Formula 1 team, the team that had been associated with the Andretti name and had to fight tooth and nail just to be added as an 11th team.
Of course, as is always the case when a seat opens up in Formula 1, there are no fewer than 10 or 12 names attached as potential candidates. In the case of Cadillac, a completely new team, with two open seats, that list is even longer.
When Palou re-signed with Ganassi a few years back, it was said that his deal allowed for a move to Formula 1, should the opportunity arise. But after winning the Indy 500, Palou is clearly not focused on Formula 1 anymore.
Alex Palou is in the midst of a historic #INDYCAR season and he isn't planning on going anywhere. #F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/qCSGCuaeoF
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) May 27, 2025
Palou has his eyes on continuing to build upon his IndyCar legacy, and that's it.
“I wish I could go back and start celebrating again – hopefully [next year]," Palou told Beyond the Flag after winning the 109th running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing".
Asked if he is looking forward to defending his Indy 500 win next year, he did not hesitate.
"Oh yeah, I cannot wait to be back," he admitted. "It’s a very stressful month. It’s a very busy month for drivers. Like if it was another Indy 500 the next week, I would be like, man, I need to rest! And not only to rest, I also need to allow myself to sink in and to believe what's going on at the moment. But yeah, I cannot wait to be back. The energy that the fans had there, it's just an amazing event."
All things considered, the Formula 1 speculation makes sense, especially for Palou after what happened three years ago, and that speculation was going to exist no matter what he said afterward.
But given the fact that he even addressed that drama in his Indy 500 race-winning speech, thanking Chip Ganassi and Mike Hull and the rest of the team for continuing to have faith in him despite the numerous obstacles created by the ordeal that began three summers ago, it's obvious that things have changed over the past three years.
A dynasty like the one IndyCar fans are currently witnessing will do that. Why leave?
As much as many of his IndyCar rivals would probably like him to compete in another series, Cadillac will have to look elsewhere. And according to Palou's remark about Formula 1 no longer calling, apparently they already are.