"He could be quick in anything": James Hinchcliffe shares thoughts on Alex Palou's F1 potential

Alex Palou hinted at a possible move to the world of F1 while the team was in talks with McLaren regarding the IndyCar move. However, that did not materialize and the world never got to see the Spaniard in an F1 car. James Hinchcliffe has now shared his thoughts on Palou's potential in an F1 car.

Hinchcliffe appeared on the Red Flags podcast uploaded on January 6, 2025. As the former IndyCar driver sat with the hosts, he was asked about which IndyCar drivers have the potential to be quick in F1 as the Cadillac F1 seat is up for grabs.

He said [24:33 onwards]:

“That's what's so interesting about motorsports is there is no, like, universal talent to driving. There are drivers that are super, super talented in a specific car and then you switch them to a different car, even if it's a similar car, and they just can't quite hit it the same way.”

“So if you're looking at the drivers that I think could hop over and immediately be competitive in general, from IndyCar to F1, obviously (Alex) Palou. I mean, he's a three-time champion. The way he drives, the way he manages races, I think is exceptional. (25:41)

“And I think he could be quick in anything, which is interesting because he had a very average junior career over in Europe. Not a lot of people had eyes on him... He was kind of a middle of the road guy.”

The host then suggested that Liam Lawson advised on the Super Formula series being a good indicator of a driver who might be quick in F1, as Hinchcliffe added that Palou was quick in that series.

Alex Palou was recently involved in a controversy regarding the switch to the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team, as he did not fulfill the contract and decided to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing. The McLaren contract promised Palou the role of McLaren’s F1 reserve driver, but seeing Piastri and Norris getting a long-term contract, the Spaniard backed out.

Alex Palou raced in the F2 and European F3 championships from 2017-2018 before making the switch to Super Formula in 2019 and eventually making his IndyCar debut in 2020.

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James Hinchcliffe suggested drivers other than Alex Palou that have F1 potential

With Andretti supporting Cadillac's F1 venture, Colton Herta is reported as the favorite to make the move for their F1 seat. When Hinchcliffe was asked to name the IndyCar driver with potential in F1, apart from Alex Palou, he named Herta, but also Pato O'Ward and Josef Newgarden. He said during the same podcast [26:23 onwards]:

“And going to F1, Colton Herta, you know, he's tested with McLaren, and they were very impressed with him. Pato O’Ward obviously has done a bunch of driving now with McLaren, and they've been very impressed with him. And then I would love to see what Newgarden could do in a car, because that guy is, you know, again, he operates at a very high level.”

AUTO: AUG 27 INDYCAR Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - Source: Getty

Pato O'Ward was given the role designed for Alex Palou after the Spaniard refused the McLaren IndyCar move. Former IndyCar mechanic and reporter Marshall Pruett recently claimed Colton Herta as Cadillac F1’s target.