Alex Palou issues statement addressing rumors of being approached by Red Bull

Alex Palou has come out and put an end to all of the rumors around him being approached by Red Bull for a seat in 2026. The rumor mill went into overdrive early in the week when it was reported that the 4x IndyCar champion had been approached by the Austrian squad.

Red Bull is a team that would essentially be looking at a competent driver to join the team as the future of Max Verstappen with the squad looks shaky at best. Yuki Tsunoda's contract is still up for renewal, and his link with Honda means that the driver could potentially be on his way out of the sport.

Alex Palou, on his part, has achieved all there is to achieve in IndyCar, as he dominated the championship this season and even clinched the iconic Indy 500 race. If there ever was a time when the switch to Red Bull made sense, it was this.

Since then, however, both sides have come out and rejected claims of any approach. Alex Palou has given his say on the matter, as the Spaniard said that Red Bull had not approached him or any other F1 outfit. Talking to the Associated Press, he said,

There’s been nothing, nothing at all. We have heard nothing from anyone.”

He added,

"The only thing I’ve heard was it was a manager for some other driver in IndyCar who would like to have my seat who said it to start something."

Alex Palou's manager also refuted any such claims as he said,

“I have not talked to, nor have been contacted by any F1 team about Alex."

Alex Palou on why the Red Bull move doesn't make sense

Alex Palou is already 28 years of age, which is the same as Max Verstappen. He does, however, feel that it is already too late to plot a move to F1. You cannot spend multiple seasons honing yourself and adapting to the new challenge, rather, you have to be ready to perform straightaway, which isn't easy to do. He says,

“You cannot go to F1 as a rookie at 29 and ask for two years to learn the track and learn the car and ask them to wait for you to start to perform. You need to go there and perform immediately. I don’t think I am missing out on anything not going to F1.”

The move would have made sense for both Red Bull and Palou. For the driver, it would give him a fresh challenge after conquering IndyCar, while the Austrian team would have a proven talent already in place should Max Verstappen decide it's time to leave.