Red Bull 'want motorsport icon' to partner Max Verstappen after McLaren paid him £296k

Red Bull are reportedly targeting IndyCar series icon Alex Palou just two years after the Spaniard was close to joining McLaren. Palou, 28, has this year sealed his fourth IndyCar title in five seasons with his Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) team.

His 2025 campaign has been dominant, finishing 165 points clear of rival Pato O'Ward. Yet, the fact that he's still competing in that motorsport format is perceived as a shock to fans and pundits, given that he's twice previously come close to moving to F1. His first near move came in 2022 when he was linked with McLaren and Arrows Racing, only for CGR to exercise a clause in his contract to keep him with the team another season.

However, he was permitted to test drive for McLaren. The following year, the British team announced him as a reserve driver for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and agreed a deal to sign him full-time from 2024.

The driver was paid a £296,000 signing-on fee and awarded a three-year deal. However, he later backtracked on joining, which resulted in McLaren suing him for breach of contract and the legal case is still ongoing.

According to Indystar, Red Bull are now targeting Palou to partner with Max Verstappen next season. After Liam Lawson lasted just two races alongside the Dutchman this year, Yuki Tsunoda came in as his replacement but has managed just three top-10 finishes.

For his part, Palou has denied any contact with Red Bull Racing. His manager, Roger Yasukawa, has also claimed no talks have taken place between the two parties.

The team is currently undergoing a major transition after a period of domination, with Verstappen claiming four successive F1 world titles. However, this season, they have been vastly inferior in pace to McLaren, and team principal Christian Horner was dismissed in June.

Laurent Mekies was instantly installed as his replacement. The Frenchman has been tight-lipped on a potential driver line-up next season, but has publicly expressed support for Tsunoda after the Belgian Grand Prix last month.