Alex Palou to Red Bull as Max Verstappen's teammate: A move that makes sense for everyone involved

If reports are to be believed, Red Bull has approached Alex Palou for a move to F1. The Spanish driver has just recently sealed his 4th IndyCar title and is close to concluding another dominant season.

With just one race left in the IndyCar season and the summer break for F1 coming to an end, the approach seemingly comes at the right time. Alex Palou has some F1 experience, as he was one of the drivers that McLaren tested before going with Oscar Piastri, but he hasn't been seriously in contention for any seat so far.

Well, if reports are true, then that suddenly changes, as Red Bull is one of the top teams in F1, and for anyone looking to make the move, the prospect is enticing. However, the one key thing about this approach is that it makes sense for every concerned party. Let's take a look.

Alex Palou

Let's get one thing straight, Alex Palou is already one of the greatest IndyCar drivers ever. He's not even 30 years of age, but what the Spaniard has been able to accomplish in the series is mind-blowing already.

He's a 4-time champion now, he's still getting better, and most importantly, he's yet to hit what is often termed a driver's prime, as he's only 28 years of age. He's got an entire career in front of him where he can move to another racing series, take some time to adapt, and ultimately prove what he's capable of.

To add to this, it does appear that in 2025, he's basically solved IndyCar. The rate at which he's won is unprecedented, but more than that, there's no box left to check. He's won a lot of races, he's won a lot of championships, and he's also conquered the ovals as he clinched the Indy500 win this time around. At this stage, a move to F1 with Red Bull is a logical one.

Red Bull

Coming to Red Bull, it's safe to say that the move is being made out of both common sense and desperation. Common sense comes from the fact that the junior academy doesn't have a driver who is ready to step up already.

There's Isack Hadjar, who has been brilliant but is still raw, Liam Lawson got his shot at Red Bull but didn't impress, and then we have Arvid Lindblad, whose rookie season in F2 is certainly impressive, but he's still very young to be rushed into the spotlight.

To cap it off, it's safe to say that the Max Verstappen-Red Bull marriage got a one-year extension for sure, but that's not a guarantee for a future where the partnership goes beyond 2026. With Verstappen seen spending his summer with the Wolff family, it's safe to say that he's fishing around.

At that point, it makes perfect sense for Red Bull to give a call to a proven talent like Alex Palou and bring him on board.

F1 and IndyCar

Finally, the fact that Alex Palou could potentially make his way to F1 as a Red Bull driver potentially sets up an eye-watering battle. In essence, you not only have a 4x champion of one racing series competing against the other, but you're also looking at the Max Verstappen of one series competing with the other.

Just like Max Verstappen has been the benchmark for F1 in the last few years, the same can be said about Alex Palou at IndyCar.

While it would be a bit unfair to judge how good Alex Palou is in his first season alongside one of the greatest F1 talents, it is certainly going to be viewed as that by a lot of people.

Conclusion

In essence, if the Alex Palou to Red Bull move comes to fruition, it is the most logical step for both the driver and the team and, in essence, for F1 as well. Whether he turns out to be a success or not is a debate for a later day, but the build is definitely going to be an interesting one.