Nelson Piquet Jr tells Alex Palou which F1 team he should ‘definitely’ join after IndyCar success

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Alex Palou has wrapped up his fourth IndyCar title, cementing his status as one of the all-time greats of American open-wheel racing.

It was an impressive season for the Spaniard after he took eight victories, including defending his Indy 500 crown, and amassing over 100 more points than his main title rival Pato O’Ward.

His domination in IndyCar has caught the eyes of some in the paddock, with rumours swirling that Palou could be in line for a drive in F1.

Red Bull have been linked with Palou for 2026, given that Yuki Tsunoda is set to be out of contract at the Milton Keynes squad. Alpine are also rumoured to want Palou’s services, while the Spaniard came close to an F1 drive when he had a contract with McLaren briefly last year.

Discussing any potential move to F1 for Palou on the Pelas Pistas podcast, former driver Nelson Piquet Jr has told him why he should make the gamble.

Nelson Piquet Jr tells Alex Palou to sign for Red Bull

Comments from Helmut Marko suggest a Red Bull move for Palou would be difficult, as the team is more about making stars rather than buying them.

Such a move would also see Palou go up against Max Verstappen, who is notorious for being one of the hardest teammates to beat in F1. Palou has experience of pairing with Verstappen, after being his teammate in go-karts, and Piquet Jr sees it as a worthwhile opportunity given his success in IndyCar.

“He’s already won how many championships in IndyCar? And he’s won the Indy 500 as well. I would go to Red Bull. If he had only won a second title and hadn’t won the Indy 500, he might even have built up a bit more comfort. But he’s already done four [seasons] and is one of the greats, right? I think what he’s shown so far, if he wins another year, I don’t think it will make a difference,” said Piquet Jr.

“Three or four [titles] is logical. But I think it will make a lot more noise if he does a few seasons in F1. Worst-case scenario, if it doesn’t work out after a year, he will be able to go back to doing something in Indy.

“If I had this opportunity, I would definitely go. And being Red Bull, if they don’t have anyone there who is interesting and they want to make a different bet, why not? But adapting to the world of F1 with the pressures, the car, the speeds is something else. However, the boy is still young, younger than Montoya, Zinardi, Villeneuve…”

READ MORE: Will Buxton shares what he would ‘love and hate’ about IndyCar star Alex Palou signing for Red Bull

Could Alex Palou make the switch to F1 from IndyCar?

F1 hasn’t seen an IndyCar star make the switch to the world championship in over a decade, with the last driver being Sebastien Bourdais for Red Bull.

Red Bull tried to sign Colton Herta in 2022, but the American lacked the required points needed to obtain an FIA F1 superlicence.

Team principal Laurent Mekies has told Tsunoda what he must do to keep his F1 seat, although it looks like they might consider another driver if his results do not improve in the second half of 2025.

Palou’s management is reportedly not keen on a move, while the Spaniard ran into contract trouble with McLaren the last time he tried to get some seat time in an F1 car.