Carlos Sainz believes recent Indianapolis 500 winner Álex Palou would have what it takes to make the switch from IndyCar to Formula 1 if he wanted.
Palou, a three-time IndyCar champion, secured his first win at the Indy 500 last weekend and looks set to secure a third consecutive title this year with a 115-point lead over his nearest competitor.
In the week following his victory at the famous race, he said, “[F1] is not calling me anymore.”
He added: “It wasn’t in my mind last year, and it’s not in my mind this year. It’s getting less and less and less every day, and with this [win], it’s like ‘no, I want to get another’.”
Palou spent the majority of his junior career racing in Europe, including appearances in F1 support races in GP3 and Formula 2.
In 2020 he made the switch to IndyCar and won the title a year later with Chip Ganassi Racing.
He tested for McLaren in F1 in 2022 and 2023, including an appearance during a Friday practice session at the 2022 U.S. Grand Prix.
Sainz, who karted alongside Palou as a teenager, believes his fellow Spaniard has the talent to race in F1 if it interests him.
“I definitely think so,” Sainz said. “I think someone that is capable of winning in Indy, Indy 500, at least he should at some point be given the chance to show what he can do in Formula 1.
“I always rated Alex very highly because I was his teammate in cadets, and he was very quick in cadet karting. But honestly speaking, what he’s doing in America is something really admirable.
“I think to dominate IndyCar, the way he’s dominating, you have to be very good at what he’s doing. Then Formula 1 is a completely different discipline, different world, but I don’t have anything else than respect and admiration for what Alex is doing in Indy.”
Fernando Alonso, who took part in the Indy 500 in 2017 and 2019 in pursuit of motorsport’s Triple Crown, said he had a lot of respect for Palou’s achievements in IndyCar.
“Great for Spain and it’s great for him to have the Indy 500 now after winning the series. He’s doing great there,” the two-time Formula 1 champion said. “I know that most of the drivers would dream about Formula 1 and having a career here, but he had the opportunity in IndyCar and he maximized every single day there.
“He’s a legend in IndyCar and he will be a legend always in IndyCar, so I think he’s not missing Formula 1 and I’m very happy for him because he’s a very, very talented driver. We are just following him from here with a lot of respect as a fan. I was watching on Sunday, the race, and just hoping that he will finally make it and he did it so happy for him.”
