IndyCar driver Alex Palou got his first-hand experience with an F1 car for the first time at Austin, and he is astonished by their pace.
Amidst the US Grand Prix, McLaren gave IndyCar driver Alex Palou a shot with an F1 car during one of their free practice sessions. The highly rated driver got the attention of the Woking-based team after he was on the 2021 series.
The American driver appeared in the opening practice of the USGP in place of Daniel Ricciardo. He finished P17 but thinks he had an incredible experience with the top motorsport machinery.
The 25-year-old race driver told the media that he was astonished by the F1 cars. He now thinks that F1 cars are more capable than he initially thought.
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Alex Palou thinks F1 cars are in a different league
Often there are debates over Indycar Vs F1, but the latter has so far managed to keep its lead in the discussion. But now, the IndyCar champion Palou has validated F1’s superiority by saying it’s in another league.
“They are really, really different,” Palou told media at Circuit of the Americas. “It’s like another league. But obviously, it’s everything, right? Like, the team size is crazy compared to an IndyCar team. The budget as well.”
Palou is right. It takes around $12 million for a team to build an f1 car. Moreover, before the budget caps, big teams like Ferrari and Mercedes were used to take their annual budget to $400 million to complete the season.
Thus, F1 stands way above any motorsport in terms of advancement. But it has equal monetary returns, as F1’s revenue over the years has significantly increased.
Why is McLaren testing with American drivers?
In 2022, apart from Palou, McLaren has also worked with Colton Herta, who has given time to the Woking-based team in their simulator and F1 testing with their MCL36.
McLaren’s involving these two American drivers is because of their prominence in their domestic market. McLaren CEO Zak Brown recognized the commercial benefits of an American driver to F1.
Moreover, McLaren is involved in three series for next season- F1, IndyCar and Formula E. So they would need a contingent of good drivers. That’s why Indian driver Jehan Daruvala also tested with him. But who will get shot with them remains to be seen?
However, the FIA squashed Herta’s chances in f1 for 2023. He was about to sign with AlphaTauri before the governing body disallowed him to have a superlicense, as he lacked eight points.
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