If you read the rumors/wish lists of F1 fans for who they think should occupy the seats at the American Cadillac team for its debut season in 2026, you'll see a lot of the same names. And most of them are just not inspiring enough confidence.
Valtteri Bottas? Too safe, and a bit overrated. Daniel Ricciardo? The shipped has sailed. Sergio Perez? That's a money-before-skill decision (and he will be 36 next season).
F1 teams should be less weary of looking outside the immediate Formula 1 universe, and doing this should mean an even easier choice when said driver is absolutely dominating his field. There is no reason for Cadillac to overthink this one: they can go with a safer, known F1 talent for one seat, but for the other?
There's no reason not to give three-time IndyCar champ Alex Palou a shot.
Alex Palou is a perfect fit for the new Cadillac F1 team
At 27, Palou has become inevitable in any race that IndyCar fans have watched over the last five years. In his first season at a top-level team in IndyCar, Palou won the title, and has now won it in back-to-back years. He has a 75 percent title conversion rate since joining Chip Ganassi Racing.
In his second title season, his worst finish was eighth (in a field of 25+ that is much tighter, for those who don't watch IndyCar). Last season, he finished in the top five in 14 of 18 races. Oh, and this season he has won both races.
Palou isn't flashy. He tends to either be dominant in almost boring way, or he just suddenly appears and takes the win when you least expect it — case in point, this past weekend at The Thermal Club, where it seemed like Pato O'Ward was the easy winner, but after his final pit stop, the Spanish star erased at nine-second deficit in moments and won easily.
If you follow the Cadillac buzz, most of the rumors allotted to an IndyCar driver is for Colton Herta, thanks in part to his spot on Andretti Global, which of course is the reason Cadillac threw its name into the ring for F1 in the first place.
And don't get me wrong, Herta is a massive talent as well, who won in IndyCar at 18 and has nine wins at 24 years old, but silly mistakes have plagued him too. He's never been able to keep up a consistent title challenge (he came in second last year, but he snuck in the back door after some late struggles for Palou).
For Cadillac, a consistent, results-producer is what is needed. IndyCar allows for the driver to shine more than in F1 due to more equal cars, and it is unlikely that Cadillac will be a contender for big points right out of the gate.
Cadillac will need that star talent who can also be consistent. Palou offers a thrilling talent who comes from outside of the typical driver pool, a chance for IndyCar's place in the upper echelon of global racing to be recognized, and a choice that makes brings intrigue and excitement.
And doesn't a brand new team looking to attract fans, sponsors and buzz want all of that?