IndyCar star Alex Palou, dominant in 2025, faces financial and logistical hurdles delaying his long-speculated move to Formula 1.
James Vowles, the team principal at Williams F1, revealed that Alex Palou, the IndyCar star, was among the candidates considered for the 2025 season.
But according to him, there were two issues. Suggesting Palou could command a salary of over $5 million despite being a rookie in Formula 1, Vowles also pointed out that the required testing time was an additional hurdle.
Palou has established himself as a key figure in IndyCar, with three titles already and a win at the Indianapolis 500 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May.
The Spaniard is now aiming for a fourth title after winning five of the first seven races in 2025.
Such performance has once again fueled speculation about Palou’s future in Formula 1. Vowles, the Williams team principal, revealed that Palou was on his radar.
“Palou is incredibly fast. We had him on our list. But there are two problems. With his track record, he wouldn’t be an easy rookie to sign. I think he’s in a price range above five million dollars for a contract.”
“And just doing FP1 sessions on Fridays wouldn’t help him prepare. Palou would need to follow the same program as an Antonelli or a Bearman. They’ve done up to 10,000 kilometers in older Formula 1 cars. That means he would need to take a sabbatical year and dedicate himself fully to preparation. I find it hard to imagine he’d want to do that, given his current status.”
Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur believes Palou was in the wrong place during his time in F3 and that he was unlucky again when the COVID pandemic caused him to fall off the radar in the Formula 1 paddock, despite winning his first IndyCar title in 2021.
“Palou wasn’t in the right team in Formula 3. He couldn’t shine there. He probably shows that results in junior formulae don’t necessarily predict future performance in very fast cars.”
“He moved to IndyCar. Then COVID hit, and Formula 1 forgot about him.”
