Alex Palou: too fast and too expensive to make his F1 debut?
Targeted by Williams for 2025, the IndyCar prodigy remains far from Formula 1. This is due to a high price tag for a rookie, and a testing schedule that is difficult to schedule.
A bright but inaccessible star? Three IndyCar titles, a victory at Indianapolis, and five wins in seven races this season. At 27, Alex Palou dominates North America. Enough to once again fuel rumors of a switch to F1.
Among those who seriously considered recruiting him: James Vowles, head of the Williams team. “Palou is ultra-fast. We had him on our list,” he confided. “But with his track record, he’s not an easy rookie to sign.”
The problem? The double winner of the Spanish championship might be too experienced to accept a secondary role, but still too unprepared to shine directly in F1, according to James Vowles. And above all, too costly for a rebuilding team like Williams.
A salary that matches his status
According to the Briton, Alex Palou’s contract is estimated to be over 5 million dollars, which is more than the majority of young drivers on the grid. An amount considered unrealistic for a driver who has never started a Grand Prix.
« He operates in a high price range. This is not an affordable profile for a first season in F1 », summarized the Williams boss.
The mileage brake
Beyond the financial aspect, the lack of running in F1 is another black mark. Vowles insists: to be ready, Palou should go through the same process as an Oliver Bearman or an Andrea Kimi Antonelli, with thousands of kilometers in old F1 cars.
« Only a few free practice sessions on Friday would not be enough. He would need to take a sabbatical year to devote himself to that. And given his status, I doubt he would be willing to do it. »
A sacrifice all the more difficult to consider since Palou is today the powerhouse of IndyCar, well ahead in the 2025 championship.
Victim of the European system?
For Frédéric Vasseur, director of Scuderia Ferrari, the Palou case illustrates the limitations of the European scouting system. According to him, the Spaniard went under the radar after a mixed experience in F3 and the onset of the Covid pandemic.
« He wasn’t in the right team in Formula 3, so he couldn’t shine », Vasseur recalled. « Then Covid came, and he was forgotten by F1. »
Too late for F1?
The example of Alex Palou raises a fundamental question: is Formula 1 still accessible to talents that emerge outside of its own ecosystem? The Spaniard now seems caught between two worlds: too strong for IndyCar, too atypical for F1.
Despite the repeated interest from several teams (including McLaren in the past), his profile remains difficult to integrate without major compromises. Meanwhile, Palou continues to make history in IndyCar. And Formula 1 might regret it one day.
