A report emerged earlier this week claiming Palou could replace Red Bull’s second seat alongside Max Verstappen.
Palou, who dominated the 2025 IndyCar season to claim his third consecutive title, described the chatter as completely unfounded.
“There’s been nothing, nothing at all,” he told The Associated Press. “We have heard nothing from anyone.”
He added that the rumour may have been planted for tactical reasons.
“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,” he said.
Palou remained pragmatic about the idea of switching to F1 at this stage of his career.
“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,” he said.
“You need to go there and perform immediately. I don’t think I am missing out on anything not going to F1.”
Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko was equally clear when asked about the possibility.
“That’s not true,” he told Kleine Zeitung, firmly shutting down the speculation that Palou was under consideration for 2026.
Red Bull’s second seat has long been a thorny issue for the team, with Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and Yuki Tsunoda all failing to fully cement the role in recent years.
While the move to F1 is off the table for now, Verstappen expressed admiration for Palou’s achievements in IndyCar.
“I know Alex already from go karting times, and I think what he is achieving in IndyCar is incredible. I mean, it’s so impressive to see,” the Dutchman said.
He also noted the difficulty of predicting how a transition from IndyCar to F1 would play out.
“It’s so difficult to say. But it’s impossible to know how people will do in F1, and it’s the same question the other way around.
“How would you do in IndyCar? You have no idea. So for me, it’s always a bit of a waste of time to try and debate that.
“I’m just happy to see him do so well in IndyCar and the way he has been dominating.”
Countryman Fernando Alonso also weighed in on the speculation, praising Palou’s ability while acknowledging the challenges of adapting to F1.
“It is a challenge, for sure, well-established drivers and teams here, and circuits and this kind of thing, but he has the talent and he has the level to adapt very quickly,” he said. “Ultimately, it will depend on which car you have.”
He added that a fast car would ease the transition, but insisted Palou had the skillset to compete at F1 level.
“I think for sure, he’s Formula 1 level and if he has the chance, I will be very happy for him.”
Alonso, who runs his own management company including drivers in both F1 and IndyCar, also joked about advising Palou.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I think, as I said already with Max [Verstappen] and Mercedes, if they want advice, my email is always open.”
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