Red Bull shuts down Palou speculation amid '26 driver debate

Red Bull has formally dismissed rumours that multiple Indycar champion Alex Palou is being lined up to partner Max Verstappen in 2026.

"That's not true," said Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, when asked by Kleine Zeitung about the reports. Palou, 28, is a four-time Indycar title winner who has dominated again this season with Chip Ganassi Racing, but he, his manager Roger Yasukawa, and team boss Chip Ganassi have all denied any current Formula 1 discussions.

Attention therefore remains on the in-house battle for Verstappen’s future teammate. Yuki Tsunoda is fighting to keep his seat, while rookie Isack Hadjar has turned heads in his first season at Racing Bulls.

At Zandvoort, Hadjar admitted he has no inside knowledge of Red Bull’s deliberations. "To be honest, it's nothing really new to me," he said. "The road to F1 was more than uncertain as well, so I'm used to not really knowing what I'm going to do next. I'm used to living in the present and giving my maximum. So yeah, I'm not worried. I'm just focused."

Marko confirmed the 20-year-old Frenchman has made a strong impression. "He has surprised us positively," the Austrian said. Another name in contention is 18-year-old Arvid Lindblad, who recently secured his FIA super license.

"Lindblad is doing just fine," Marko added. "We're right on schedule there. He's fully involved and will have several more appearances with us this year."

As for Tsunoda, he admitted: "I definitely need to show more." The Japanese driver also suggested his early struggles were amplified by Verstappen getting upgrades sooner.

"I think they, and especially Helmut, didn't realise how big the difference in speed was between Max's package and mine," he said, "As soon as I got the new parts, my speed improved enormously."

On his contract talks, Tsunoda said: "We've agreed together on when we want clarity. I need to show them my speed so they can determine what kind of contract they want to give for next year."

But even as Palou distances himself from the rumours, leading F1 figures continue to praise him. Verstappen said: "I know Alex already from go-karting times, and what he is achieving in Indycar is incredible. It's so impressive to see, but it's impossible to know how people will do in F1 and it's the same question the other way round – how would you do in Indycar?"

Compatriot Fernando Alonso agreed: "He's talented and can adapt quickly. I'm sure he could handle Formula 1, and if he gets the chance, I'd be very happy for him. If anyone wants advice, though, they can always send an email," he laughed.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz added: "I can only see what he does in the car, and it's an incredible job. Formula 1 is a different beast - it's impossible to predict how he'll perform, but the things he's doing are incredible."