Alex Palou and the Red Bull F1 rumors: Helmut Marko reveals his final decision

10:38, 30 Aug

Updated: 12:08, 30 Aug

byPietro Vurro

'Alex Palou in talks to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing'. Such was the rumour that surfaced earlier in the week. The Austrian team's top advisor Helmut Marko now reveals if there's any truth to the noise linking his team to the Spaniard talent.

Will Buxton commented on the rumoured move, stating his belief that Palou could be competitive in Formula 1 if given a good car, but admitted he was split on whether he supported or rejected the switch altogether.

"Palou is, hands down, one of the best open wheel drivers in the world right now. Could he win in F1? Absolutely. With the right car. Would he get the right car though? Unless it’s a top 4 team in F1, why walk away from making history in a championship he loves?"

Alex Palou recently became a 4-time champion at IndyCar, having won the title in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Final decision on Alex Palou

In an interview with Kleine Zeitung, Marko addressed the rumours, and issued a vote of confidence on his drivers.

"Isack Hadjar has positively surprised and Arvid Lindblad is [going] all according to plan. He is fully on schedule, is already fully integrated into the programme this year and gets more opportunities with us this year," dismissing Palou's rumours as mere 'clickbait.'

Speaking to GPblog among others, Marko reaffirmed his belief in Red Bull's current crop of young drivers.

"We never had a discussion with him. No, we have our drivers. He’s not on our radar."