IndyCar star admits 'really small chance' of racing in F1 after McLaren dispute

IndyCar star Alex Palou admitted that there was a 'really small chance' that he would get an opportunity to get a drive in F1.

The former IndyCar driver Recently made headlines when he ditched McLaren to continue racing with Chip Gannasi Racing for the 2024 season in the series. He had a contract with the iconic British brand to race for them in the coming season but decided against it.

One of the perks that he got by being associated with McLaren was getting an opportunity to drive in the F1 young driver tests in Abu Dhabi at the end of the season in 2022. However, speaking with Autosport, Palou claimed that he was aware that he had minimal chances of entering the pinnacle of motorsport and said:

“No, I said it many times that it was not my full focus. Then, when an opportunity came, I had to go for it, I felt. At the same time, I know I'm not 21 or 19. I'm already 26, which is good. I'm not saying I'm old, but I mean, it's not that I'm super young. So, next year I'll be 27."

"If an [F1] opportunity comes in the future, which is like a really, really small chance, I'll think about it for sure, 100%. But I'm happy honestly. As long as I keep on winning championships and races or battling for championships I think I'll have a great career.”

Alex Palou explains how his focus on F1 has shifted

Palou stated that he was never fully focused on getting a drive in F1 even when he was younger. He claimed that given his age, he now wants to be fully focused on racing in IndyCar and not harbor thoughts of jumping ship. He said:

“There's no hiding, like, if you look at my interviews until '21, I was saying that I was not focused on F1 at all. And that was totally true, but things changed when I won the championship just because I was 24."

"At the same time, if I was 20, maybe I would've waited. But I'm not 20, I'm 26. And on that side, I don't know if there's been somebody [aged] 30 getting into F1.”

Alex Palou also got an opportunity to drive last year's McLaren at the COTA Free Practice 1 in front of his home fans. However, he was never really in contention when it came to replacing Daniel Ricciardo in the team last season.