Sainz: Indy 500 winner Palou deserves F1 chance

Carlos Sainz believes caller Indianapolis 500 victor Álex Palou would person what it takes to marque the power from IndyCar to Formula 1 if helium wanted.

Palou, a three-time IndyCar champion, secured his archetypal triumph astatine the Indy 500 past play and looks acceptable to unafraid a 3rd consecutive rubric this twelvemonth with a 115-point pb implicit his nearest competitor.

In the week pursuing his triumph astatine the celebrated race, helium said, "[F1] is not calling maine anymore."

He added: "It wasn't successful my caput past year, and it's not successful my caput this year. It's getting little and little and little each day, and with this [win], it's similar 'no, I privation to get another'."

Palou spent the bulk of his inferior vocation racing successful Europe, including appearances successful F1 enactment races successful GP3 and Formula 2.

In 2020 helium made the power to IndyCar and won the rubric a twelvemonth aboriginal with Chip Ganassi Racing.

He tested for McLaren successful F1 successful 2022 and 2023, including an quality during a Friday signifier league astatine the 2022 U.S. Grand Prix.

Sainz, who karted alongside Palou arsenic a teenager, believes his chap Spaniard has the endowment to contention successful F1 if it interests him.

"I decidedly deliberation so," Sainz said. "I deliberation idiosyncratic that is susceptible of winning successful Indy, Indy 500, astatine slightest helium should astatine immoderate constituent beryllium fixed the accidental to amusement what helium tin bash successful Formula 1.

"I ever rated Alex precise highly due to the fact that I was his teammate successful cadets, and helium was precise speedy successful cadet karting. But honestly speaking, what he's doing successful America is thing truly admirable.

"I deliberation to predominate IndyCar, the mode he's dominating, you person to beryllium precise bully astatine what he's doing. Then Formula 1 is simply a wholly antithetic discipline, antithetic world, but I don't person thing other than respect and admiration for what Alex is doing successful Indy."

Fernando Alonso, who took portion successful the Indy 500 successful 2017 and 2019 successful pursuit of motorsport's Triple Crown, said helium had a batch of respect for Palou's achievements successful IndyCar.

"Great for Spain and it's large for him to person the Indy 500 present aft winning the series. He's doing large there," the two-time Formula 1 champion said. "I cognize that astir of the drivers would imagination astir Formula 1 and having a vocation here, but helium had the accidental successful IndyCar and helium maximized each azygous time there.

"He's a fable successful IndyCar and helium volition beryllium a fable ever successful IndyCar, truthful I deliberation he's not missing Formula 1 and I'm precise blessed for him due to the fact that he's a very, precise talented driver. We are conscionable pursuing him from present with a batch of respect arsenic a fan. I was watching connected Sunday, the race, and conscionable hoping that helium volition yet marque it and helium did it truthful blessed for him."