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Alex Palou is on top of the open-wheel racing world as he won Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 for the first time in his career and notched his fifth win in six IndyCar races this season.
Palou appeared to be cemented in his IndyCar seat for the foreseeable future as he made clear that joining Formula 1 wasn’t in the cards.
“(F1) is not calling me anymore. I still follow it. It’s a huge series. It’s amazing. I’m a big fan, but I don’t think they’re having as much fun as I’m having here,” Palou told the Indy Star.
“I don’t see people celebrating with their wives and their kids as much as we do. I don’t see them hanging in the bus lot or having dinner with their mechanics. I only enjoy driving and having fun and being with my people, so I think (F1) is the total opposite.”
Palou dipped his toe in the F1 waters in 2022 when he signed with McLaren’s Testing of Previous Cars program. He was then named a reserve driver for the 2023 season but never raced in an official event.
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He participated in four races in Formula 2 in 2017 and drove full time in Formula 3 in 2018, finishing in seventh in the drivers’ championship.
Palou joined IndyCar in 2020 with Dale Coyne Racing. He moved to Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021. He’s won the IndyCar championship three times and is in line for a fourth.
After the Indy 500 win, Ganassi called him the “best driver.”
“I think he’s one of the greats. It’s that simple,” Ganassi said. “Certainly we’ve had some great drivers on our team, and he’s right there, at worst, shoulder-to-shoulder with all the rest of them.”
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