Alex Palou has confirmed he is not in contention for a Formula 1 seat with Cadillac.
The 27-year-old Spaniard, a three-time Indycar champion, is widely seen as America's top open-wheel talent.
Recently, new Aston Martin simulator driver Dani Jucadella posted on social media: "If Palou doesn't enter the frame for one of these seats in 2026, I'm going to set X on fire."
Palou's name was linked to F1 in the past, including a 2022 practice outing with McLaren, but a legal fallout with the team shifted his focus solely to Indycar.
"I think we've perhaps already passed the stage of trying to get a spot in Formula 1," he told Soy Motor. "Things didn't go well. I think I'm at a point now where it's too late."
Cadillac F1 boss Graeme Lowdon recently told Speed City he's discussing 2026 seats with "seven or eight" candidates, ranging from seasoned F1 drivers to untested juniors with strong credentials.
Palou, however, isn't among them. "The truth is, there's nothing," Palou said.
"There isn't any conversation, nor has there ever been. Perhaps the good results I'm having in Indycar would have meant a little more than they do now if I had had them eight years ago, when I was 20."
