Alex Palou has opened up about his “tough season” in the NTT IndyCar Series, embroiled in a contractual dispute with Chip Ganassi Racing while trying to ensure his Formula 1 hopes come true. After finally ending the legal battle and signing a new contract with the team for 2023, Palou is now focusing on his Formula 1 ambitions. Let’s take a closer look at the situation.
The Dispute with Ganassi Racing
Palou’s dispute with Chip Ganassi Racing was one of the biggest stories of this year’s NTT IndyCar Series season. It all began when Palou started discussing a move to Arrow McLaren SP, as he had his sights set on making it into Formula 1 – potentially with McLaren itself. This didn’t sit well with Ganassi, who weren’t willing to let their star driver leave without a fight. The two sides then entered into a legal battle that lasted for months before eventually coming to an end when they signed a new deal for 2023.
Palou’s F1 Ambitions
Now that the dispute is out of the way, Palou can focus on achieving his goal of driving in Formula 1. He has already tested three different cars – the previous MCL35M at Circuit de Catalunya and Red Bull Ring, followed by the 2022 MCL36 during free practice for the U.S. Grand Prix at Austin – although he’s yet to secure himself a seat in any team for next season. Nonetheless, it seems like only a matter of time before we see him make his grand prix debut and continue his impressive career trajectory in motorsport.
Palou’s Career Path in Motorsports
For many years, Alex Palou competed in various motorsport championships including GP3 Series, Super Formula Japan and FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). In 2020, he had his breakthrough season when he joined Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh in the NTT INDYCAR Series. The Spaniard went on to win three races that season and finished second overall in the championship standings—a remarkable achievement for a rookie driver.
It was this success that earned him a test drive for Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda at the end of 2020. This experience allowed him to get a taste of what F1 was like and gave him valuable insight into how he could prepare himself better for a full-time seat in F1 if offered one. Following his successful test drive, Palou announced that he would leave Dale Coyne Racing at the end of 2021 and join Scuderia AlphaTauri as their reserve driver for 2022.
The Challenges Ahead
Palou is aware of the challenges ahead as he transitions from IndyCar to F1. He understands that racing in F1 requires an immense amount of dedication and preparation if he is to succeed at the highest level of motorsport. The Spaniard has already proven himself capable of competing at the front in all categories (including winning races) so now it’s just a matter of adjusting his driving style and mentality to fit F1’s demands. Furthermore, Palou knows that getting regular seat time is key; however, he also mentioned that there are no guarantees when it comes to being chosen as a full-time race driver in F1 due to its highly competitive nature.
Alex Palou has already achieved great success since joining Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh and will be taking another step forward towards fulfilling his dream of becoming an F1 driver by signing as Scuderia AlphaTauri’s reserve driver for 2022. It won’t be easy for him — not only does he need to adjust his driving style and mentality for F1 but also prove himself again within this highly competitive racing environment — but if anyone can do it then it’s him! With determination and hard work, we believe Alex can achieve great things during his transition from IndyCar to Formula 1.
Alex Palou has been through quite an ordeal this year but it looks like everything is finally starting to fall into place for him as he focuses on making his Formula 1 debut in 2022. He has already proven that he has what it takes to compete at the highest level after winning the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series title and now all eyes are on him as he attempts to make history by becoming Spain’s first ever F1 driver since Fernando Alonso retired from racing last year.