Relevant links for the show:

• The Vaucher Analytics State of Motorsport 2025: IndyCar
• Source article on the Vaucher Analytics website
• Sign up for the Return On Racing newsletter

Rumors are swirling: Red Bull Racing is interested in four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou for a Formula 1 seat alongside Max Verstappen in 2026. 

Some see this as a threat to IndyCar, but I see it as the biggest opportunity the series has had in years. 

In this episode, I lay out why IndyCar, backed by Penske and Fox, should fund Palou’s move to Red Bull, and how everyone could come out richer if it happens: 

• Flip the narrative: Instead of losing Palou, IndyCar gains a global ambassador in the most visible motorsport series in the world.
• The perfect profile: Palou is European, multilingual, and credible at the elite level: the ideal bridge for IndyCar to new audiences.
• The Avengers effect: Palou and Verstappen as teammates is a storyline bigger than any campaign or sponsorship deal could buy.
• Follow the money: Buyouts and settlements cost tens of millions, but the return in exposure, sponsors, and international credibility could be worth hundreds of millions.
• Everyone gets paid: Ganassi, McLaren, Red Bull, IndyCar, and Palou himself all potentially set themselves up to come out ahead.

This isn’t just rumor-watching. It’s out-of-the-box strategy: how IndyCar can turn a potential loss into the boldest marketing investment in its history.

In fact, this could be one of the boldest moves in the history of sports.

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