Cadillac F1 director Mario Andretti hails "rare" Max Verstappen-like IndyCar talent: "Comes in once every generation"

Cadillac F1 director Mario Andretti has showered praise on reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou. The 85-year-old racing legend compared the Spaniard to Max Verstappen, who has changed the face of F1 over the past decade.

In 2025, Palou is on a sensational run with six race wins and two second-place finishes in ten races. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver also won the 109th Indy 500 to take an emotional first victory at the premier IndyCar race. His dominance is similar to what Verstappen did with Red Bull in 2023, when he won 19 of 22 races.

Mario Andretti called Alex Palou a generational talent for his ability to turn any race situation in his favor. The 1978 F1 champion said, via ESPN:

"To me, Palou is a rare type of talent that comes in once every generation, every 20 years. I feel that he's at the level to compare with Max Verstappen that way. Seems like he's able to overcome whatever difficulties come his way.

"He can be back in the field, buried in there, and you think that he maybe makes up a couple of places, but then he passes two cars in a corner. And does it again and keeps on doing it."

Alex Palou wins the NTT IndyCar Series XPEL Grand Prix at Road America - Source: Getty

Mario Andretti elaborated on Palou's 'superiority,' adding:

"I mean, he just doesn't accept failure. He's the best talent IndyCar has. And you can tell he really loves what he's doing. That's what it takes, pure passion and then having the talent to back that up. That's how some rare talents have a way of showing their superiority. And right now, he's superior."

Palou had a chance to pursue an F1 career when McLaren Racing signed him as its reserve driver for the 2023 season. The deal also included his leaving Chip Ganassi Racing to join McLaren's IndyCar team, Arrow McLaren, from 2024 onwards. However, the Spaniard breached his contract to stay with CGR. McLaren launched a lawsuit against him, which is still ongoing in the UK commercial court.

Mario Andretti's praise for Alex Palou comes only weeks after the 28-year-old denied any interest in joining Cadillac F1 in 2026. While the Spaniard continues his historic IndyCar run, Max Verstappen is watching his F1 dominance end, with McLaren favorites to win both the Drivers' and Constructors' championships. Moreover, Red Bull is in turmoil, with CEO and Team Principal Christian Horner getting axed earlier this week.

Mario Andretti doesn't rule out "tremendous" McLaren driver for Cadillac F1 seat

In November 2024, when F1 provisionally approved Cadillac F1's bid to enter the series in 2026, Mario Andretti named IndyCar's Colton Herta as the top prospect for one seat. However, in the months to come, the 85-year-old also included Pato O'Ward in the picture.

O'Ward drives for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar and doubles as a reserve driver for its F1 team. In March this year, when ESPN asked Andretti whether he could be a good prospect for Cadillac, the four-time IndyCar champion replied:

"Of course. I mean, he has tremendous talent. He has shown that. Of course, we would have to fight pretty hard with McLaren because at the moment, he's under their contract. So yeah, you have to keep your options open when they come. Maybe many situations are not available today, but in a year or two, who knows? You have to keep your options open at all times."

In the months to come, Herta's name faded out of the Cadillac prospect list. Mario Andretti, who had earlier said that the team would pair a young American driver with an experienced F1 driver, backtracked on that stance. He emphasized that the General Motors-backed team was no longer fixating on any such criteria.

Cadillac's other driver prospects include Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Mick Schumacher, and Zhou Guanyu.