Alex Palou honestly compares himself with Kyle Larson and Max Verstappen: "Rate him higher than me”

Chip Ganassi Racing star Alex Palou has won three IndyCar championships in the last four years with a top team and is on the way to winning his fourth one. The Spaniard was questioned where he stood in comparison to Max Verstappen and Kyle Larson, as Palou shared his honest opinion about it.

Max Verstappen is often regarded as the greatest single-seater driver of the current generation, as the Dutchman is able to deliver more than the car offers as a package by driving beyond the limit, yet keeping the car in control. Kyle Larson, on the other hand, is a master of many disciplines, as he races in the stock cars (NASCAR), midget cars, sprint cars on dirt, and open-wheel cars (IndyCar).

Larson came out last year and suggested that he was a better all-around driver than Max Verstappen. While there is no doubt that Verstappen, Larson, and Palou are some of the greatest drivers in their series, the three haven't ever gone head-to-head at the same time.

However, Alex Palou has raced against Kyle Larson at the Indy 500. The Spaniard was also Max Verstappen's teammate in go-karts. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver was questioned after the IndyCar race at Road America and asked where he'd rank himself amongst the likes of Larson and Verstappen.

“I don't know. I think stuff to compare drivers from different series. Kyle has done a tremendous job, not only in NASCAR and IndyCar. I would say, probably one of the only drivers in the world that can go to different series and different cars and perform at such a good level that he does. I don't know, but I don't think I would be at this level in NASCAR or in dirt racing, so that's probably higher than me,” said Alex Palou.

“And Max, he was my teammate in Go Karts. He is an amazing driver, and he's probably the fastest in a single seater. So, yeah, I don't know where I stand, but for sure not at those levels. Hopefully one day. But yeah, what Kyle is able to do with different cars in different series is pretty impressive.”

“I’m really happy where I am”: Alex Palou on the possibility of joining F1

Alex Palou signed a contract with Arrow McLaren in 2022, which would've given him the McLaren F1 reserve driver role along with the IndyCar seat, the role currently occupied by Pato O'Ward. However, the move was postponed by a year following a clause in Palou's Chip Ganassi contract.

By then, McLaren had already signed Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on a long-term contract, and Alex Palou didn't see a way to F1, so he decided not to fulfill the McLaren contract and stayed with CGR, which led to a lawsuit from the Papaya team. After the Road America GP, Palou was asked whether any F1 teams have tried to reach out to him, to which he replied:

“I tried everything, like I would say three years ago, to try and get there. I think everybody knows that it didn't work out, and that was okay. It was a fun, fun experience, but. Yeah. Now, I'm not looking for that. I'm really happy where I am, and I think I'm really privileged to be in the position I am to fight for races and championships.”

Alex Palou leads the IndyCar championship and sits on 386 points, with six wins in the first nine races of the season, including the Indy 500 victory.