Indycar Insider claims Mario Andretti avoiding son Michael's mistakes by keeping Cadillac F1 talks with Alex Palou 'under wraps'

Racing legend Mario Andretti is the director of the Cadillac F1 team. The only IndyCar driver he has shown interest in signing for the F1 team is Andretti Global's Colton Herta. However, IndyCar insider Marshall Pruett believed that Andretti might also be in talks with three-time champ Alex Palou.

The Cadillac F1 project was birthed by Mario Andretti's son, Michael Andretti. However, Michael had "personal" conflicts with Formula One Management, which led to the team facing resistance for a 2026 entry. Moreover, eight of the 10 existing teams were against an 11th team's entry.

In September 2024, Michael stepped down as chairman and CEO of Andretti Global and exited the Cadillac F1 project. After that, F1 swiftly reversed its decision and approved a 2026 entry. Marshall Pruett believed that Michael's father, Mario Andretti, was avoiding the same mistakes by keeping the team's developments hidden from the public, including his pursuit to sign reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou.

On the RACER Mailbag, Pruett answered a fan's question about why Andretti has made his preference of signing Colton Herta known but not Alex Palou. He wrote:

"Who says Mario isn’t knocking down Alex’s door? With Mario’s son (Michael) having created all kinds of problems for himself by saying too much, I’d expect the GOAT to keep current conversations under wraps."

Alex Palou is under contract with Chip Ganassi Racing, but a get-out clause allows him to leave if an F1 team comes calling. Winning the IndyCar championship twice in the last two years also meant that he has the required points on his FIA Super License to be eligible to enter F1 in 2026.

The No. 10 Honda driver has won the opening two races of the 2025 season and looks set to run away with a third consecutive (and fourth overall) title.

Mario Andretti shares a message of gratitude to his son Michael Andretti for IndyCar and F1 help

Michael Andretti, Mario Andretti, and Marco Andretti at "The Lionheart" Premiere - 2023 Tribeca Festival - Source: Getty

Mario Andretti retired from professional racing in 1994. Because the four-time IndyCar champ had no interest in building and managing a racing team of his own, he wasn't as closely involved in IndyCar. That changed when his son Michael acquired a stake in Green Racing in 2002, which is now called Andretti Global.

Because of his son's entrepreneurial dream, Mario Andretti found a home in IndyCar.

"As I came out of the cockpit, the best thing is that my son Michael [Andretti] was continuing even when he stepped out of the cockpit as an owner. So I felt that I had a home when I went to the races, not just that [I] arrived there as a spectator or so forth," the 85-year-old said on the ESPN Fans podcast.

In 2026, this will repeat in F1 as Andretti will find a permanent spot because of the Cadillac project begun by his son.

"And that's what I like about the situation that we will have in Formula One, finally I could go to a Formula One race and I will have a home, a place to be where, the team, that's part of us," he added.

Cadillac has a technical alliance with Ferrari, meaning it will use the engines supplied by the Scuderia until General Motors can create power units of its own. Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas are the F1 drivers reportedly in contention for a seat.