Fans urge Cadillac to sign ‘dominant’ IndyCar driver who would be the ‘perfect foil’ to Max Verstappen

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Next season is going to be fascinating in Formula 1 with so many new storylines to consider.

One of the most entertaining plots going into next season is what Max Verstappen will do at Red Bull.

Verstappen was linked with Mercedes, and Aston Martin were keen on his services too, but the four-time world champion decided to stay put.

However, with the new F1 regulations arriving in 2026, if Red Bull don’t nail their new car, then the Dutchman might be making plans to head elsewhere in the paddock.

One of the other big talking points is going to be the introduction of Cadillac to the grid.

Cadillac are yet to commit to a driver for their 2026 line-up, although several stars have been linked.

Valtteri Bottas is a strong favourite to race for Cadillac, but the likes of Sergio Perez, Felipe Drugovich and even Mick Schumacher have been in the conversation.

Racing fans in the United States had the Grand Prix of Portland to tide them over during the first weekend of the F1 summer break.

They watched Will Power win for the 43rd time in his IndyCar career, but it was Alex Palou who joined him on the podium to secure his fourth title.

Fans now think the Spaniard should be an option for Cadillac, even if Palou was most recently linked to Sauber and was once a member of McLaren’s driver program.

Will Buxton says Alex Palou could ‘absolutely’ win in Formula 1 after fourth IndyCar title

Journalist and broadcaster Will Buxton posted on X about Palou, and he said: “Palou is, hands down, one of the best open-wheel drivers in the world right now.

“Could he win in F1? Absolutely. With the right car. Would he get the right car, though?

“Unless it’s a top 4 team in F1, why walk away from making history in a championship he loves?”

It was then put to Buxton that had he joined McLaren, he could be leading the drivers’ championship right now and continued: “I think Palou reneged on McLaren precisely because the F1 road was closed off as soon as they signed Piastri.

“But yeah. Had Alpine been better at writing contracts, every chance Palou is leading the F1 championship and Piastri is still at Enstone.”

How racing fans view Alex Palou joining Formula 1 after 2025 IndyCar championship win

Based on Buxton’s views on Palou, plenty of fans started to get excited about the prospect of the 28-year-old making the switch to Formula 1.

One message read: “There’s an alternative universe where Palou is leading the F1 world championship today in a McLaren. It was clearly heading that way until the world found out Alpine writes contracts with the rigidity of a wet paper towel.”

Another fan said: “He’d be a perfect foil to Verstappen. RBR needs a fast, consistent driver who rarely makes mistakes. That’s Palou, to a T, and how he wins championships by always maximising his points. A faster Scott Dixon. Not to mention, he’s Spanish, so he knows the Euro-racing scene.”

“Say he’s easily in the top ten of drivers in F1, as [he’s] clearly got the talent. However, [he] might end up like Scott Dixon, not making it to F1,” read another comment.

One person wanted to see Palou on the grid this season and said: “With nine F1 races left after IndyCar wraps up, how about giving Alex Palou a run in the second Red Bull or Alpine? [Would] be good to see what he could do!”

“Would make sense for Cadillac to take him, but I could see why he would pass on the opportunity,” suggested another fan, while one person commented: “Alex Palou is the most dominant driver in any series right now. What a performance.”

However, there were also warnings from fans, with one person stating: “Until F1 starts being more about the driver than the car, he should absolutely stay in Indy unless he doesn’t care about records and just wants a new challenge.

“But if I’m him, I’m not even looking at eight of the 11 F1 teams. Indy isn’t second fiddle to F1 like casuals think it is.”

Alex Palou once admitted ‘every driver’ wants to race in Formula 1

Palou took part in a free practice session in place of Daniel Ricciardo for McLaren at the 2022 United States Grand Prix.

To date, that’s his only public outing in an F1 car, with his ties to McLaren severed after a breach of contract dispute.

Speaking to Autosport at the end of 2022 about his F1 ambitions, Palou said: “We’re still at Ganassi in 2023 and I’ve tested an F1 car three times. Every driver wants to get into an F1 car at least once. I got to enjoy a bit of both worlds.”

It would be another amazing twist in the F1 driver market if Palou decided to try his hand at switching series next year.

Mario Andretti said Cadillac could ‘fight pretty hard’ to sign Palou, and adding another title to his CV is unlikely to do his chances any harm.