In Formula 1’s 75-year history, although it is quite uncommon in the modern era, several IndyCar drivers have tried their hand at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Very few have achieved success in F1 after moving over from North America, but some have gone on to make a name for themselves.
The most notable include Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve, who both won the series when it was known as CART, before going on to win multiple races in F1 – the latter winning the 1997 championship.
Nowadays, it is proving difficult for IndyCar drivers to make the switch across to F1 given how limited tests are. McLaren have worked with Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou in recent years to give them mileage under the Testing of Previous Cars rules.
It has been a hot topic among fans and pundits as to how the current IndyCar grid would fare in F1, and former driver and current analyst James Hinchcliffe has named one ‘exceptional’ driver who he thinks could do the job in the pinnacle of motorsport.
James Hinchcliffe thinks Alex Palou could perform immediately in Formula 1
When it comes to the possibility of IndyCar drivers racing in F1, Colton Herta seems the most likely with his links to Cadillac for 2026. The American had been linked with a move to AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls) in 2023 as Pierre Gasly’s replacement, but Herta did not have the necessary superlicense points to qualify for F1.
Hinchcliffe would love to see Josef Newgarden in F1 one day. The 34-year-old is the two-time defending Indy 500 champion and is searching for his third in 2025.
And speaking on the Red Flags Podcast, Hinchcliffe named three-time champion Palou as another talent he would like to see take on F1, claiming he would be ‘quick in anything.’
“When you talk about drivers switching from F1 to IndyCar and vice versa, it’s so hard to try to isolate who could be competitive in each, because their specific abilities in IndyCar might work well in a Mercedes but might not work well in a Red Bull, you know what I mean?” he said.
“If you’re looking at the drivers that I think could hop over and immediately be competitive in general from IndyCar to F1, obviously Palou, I mean he’s a three-time champion.
“The way he drives, the way he manages races, I think is exceptional 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 wasn’t a phenom like Max Verstappen, like Kimi Antonelli. He was kind of a middle of the road guy.”
Could Alex Palou move over to F1 in the future?
It is true that Palou had struggled to make an impact in Europe earlier in his career. The Spaniard achieved just one win and two podiums in two years in GP3, which is probably why he never got a chance in Formula 2.
After an impressive 2019 season in Super Formula where he finished third, Palou made the switch to IndyCar, which proved to be an inspired choice given his incredible success in the series. His results have put him on the map in F1 and has been touted for a move to the sport for some time.
Palou had been linked with a move to Sauber for 2025, which would ultimately make him an Audi driver come 2026. But that door appears to be shut after the team opted to sign Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.
The Spaniard could be an option for newcomers Cadillac in 2026, given the link to Andretti via IndyCar. Mnay fans and pundits anticipate the day Palou comes to F1, but whether he will get that chance is another question.
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