

IndyCar, Fox, Penske, Should Pay for Alex Palou’s Rumored Red Bull Formula 1 Seat
Relevant links for the show:
- The Vaucher Analytics State of Motorsport 2025: IndyCar
- Source article on the Vaucher Analytics website
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Rumors are swirling: Red Bull Racing is interested in four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou for a Formula 1 seat alongside Max Verstappen in 2026.
Some see this as a threat to IndyCar, but I see it as the biggest opportunity the series has had in years.
In this episode, I lay out why IndyCar, backed by Penske and Fox, should fund Palou’s move to Red Bull, and how everyone could come out richer if it happens:
- Flip the narrative: Instead of losing Palou, IndyCar gains a global ambassador in the most visible motorsport series in the world.
- The perfect profile: Palou is European, multilingual, and credible at the elite level: the ideal bridge for IndyCar to new audiences.
- The Avengers effect: Palou and Verstappen as teammates is a storyline bigger than any campaign or sponsorship deal could buy.
- Follow the money: Buyouts and settlements cost tens of millions, but the return in exposure, sponsors, and international credibility could be worth hundreds of millions.
- Everyone gets paid: Ganassi, McLaren, Red Bull, IndyCar, and Palou himself all potentially set themselves up to come out ahead.
This isn’t just rumor-watching. It’s out-of-the-box strategy: how IndyCar can turn a potential loss into the boldest marketing investment in its history.
In fact, this could be one of the boldest moves in the history of sports.
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