Will Buxton reacts to reports of Red Bull's approach to Alex Palou as Max Verstappen's teammate

Former F1TV presenter Will Buxton has claimed that he would equally love and hate to see Alex Palou join Red Bull Racing to become Max Verstappen's teammate. Fresh reports have suggested that the Austrian team has an interest in signing the Spaniard.

A week after winning his fourth IndyCar title, Palou has been making waves in the motorsports world again. The Indianapolis Star reported on Monday morning that Red Bull Racing F1 has shown a concrete interest in signing the driver for the 2026 season.

If this move were to happen, it could see Palou team up with Max Verstappen, forming one of the most successful partnerships in current open-wheel racing.

Former F1 TV presenter and now IndyCar commentator Will Buxton has shared his opinion on this news, claiming that he "would love and hate this in equal measure". The Briton took to X to share his feelings.

"Would love it for him and because I think he’s one of the very best racers in open wheel right now and would surprise a lot of people, showing the world just how high the level is in IndyCar," wrote Buxton.

"Would hate it because that second Red Bull seat has a hex on it, one which even Palou might struggle to overcome," he added.

Alex Palou claimed his fourth IndyCar title at the Grand Prix of Portland earlier in August. This was also his third consecutive American open-wheel series title with Chip Ganassi Racing.

The 28-year-old followed this up with a P2 finish at the Milwaukee Mile as another potential race win was taken off him by Christian Rasmussen in the final stages of the race.

Will Buxton wishes to see a challenger to Alex Palou in IndyCar amid Red Bull rumors

Alex Palou upon taking his fourth IndyCar title at the Grand Prix of Portland - Source: Getty

Another reason Will Buxton has shared for not wanting to see Alex Palou move to Red Bull to compete in F1 is that he wishes to see a driver on the current IndyCar grid to take the challenge to the reigning series champion.

Adding to his aforementioned comments about the news of Red Bull's interest in Palou, Buxton also mentioned a more IndyCar-centric season for wanting him to stay.

"And also because not only do I want to see the IndyCar field take the fight to him in 2026 and challenge the champion, but I want to see just how many titles he could achieve in IndyCar given how young he is and how much scope there still is for him to get even better," wrote Buxton.

As previously mentioned, Palou claimed his fourth IndyCar title at the Grand Prix of Portland earlier this month. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has dominated the whole field yet again, having claimed eight race wins from fifteen, with only one more race to go this season.

Palou joined the legendary list of drivers with four American open-wheel series titles, which includes Mario Andretti, Sebastien Bourdais, and Dario Franchitti.

About the author

Samyak Sharma is a Motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda, covering Formula One and IndyCar. A graduate in Mass Media and Journalism, he aims to transform his lifelong passion for playing and following sports into a thriving career in sports journalism. He believes that sports naturally deliver the most compelling stories, needing no script to captivate the world.

Samyak is dedicated to providing detailed and insightful coverage, keeping an eye on all developments on and off the track to ensure timely and accurate reporting. He closely follows Max Verstappen, inspired by the Dutchman's ability to balance precision and aggression on the track.

Samyak envisions the continued growth of motorsports globally and hopes to see Formula One return to the V8 engines while still continuing to be sustainable. As for IndyCar, he envisions greater international exposure to rival the global reach of F1.

Outside the world of motorsports, Samyak immerses himself in his love for football and cricket, passionately cheering for his favorite team, Manchester United. He also enjoys catching the occasional tennis match, broadening his appreciation for sports.

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Edited by Mitali