IndyCar champion named "perfect" Red Bull teammate to Max Verstappen as Villeneuve makes bold Yuki Tsunoda statement

Jacques Villeneuve has named four-time and reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou as the "perfect" driver to occupy the second Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen in 2026. The seat is currently occupied by Yuki Tsunoda, but the Japanese driver has failed to impress, much like his predecessors.

Villeneuve has assessed that Tsunoda has had a fair chance at proving himself, but has fallen flat. During the ongoing F1 Mexican Grand Prix weekend, the 1995 IndyCar champion and Indy 500 winner said (via Marca):

"Tsunoda? How many years has he been here... five? We've already seen if he's any good... and he's not."

Villeneuve, however, wasn't as harsh with Liam Lawson, whom he thinks still has room for improvement and Red Bull should retain. However, in Tsunoda's place, the Canadian proposed that the team should sign Alex Palou, who had a dominant season this year en route to winning his third consecutive and fourth overall championship in the premier American open-wheel racing series.

"He (Lawson) still has things to show. He doesn't have much experience. Keep him, and then bring Alex Palou from IndyCar. He has won races under pressure and in many different circumstances. He is the perfect driver for the future of Red Bull. Give him a try," Jacques Villeneuve added.

Driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, Palou has won four of the last five championships. This year, he won eight of 17 races, including a magnificent and emotional victory at the 109th Indy 500.

In August, a report by the Indy Star claimed that Red Bull had reportedly shown interest in signing the Spaniard for 2026. However, both Alex Palou and his team boss, Chip Ganassi, denied the existence of any such happening.

IndyCar champ Alex Palou claims Zak Brown seemingly played spoilsport when Helmut Marko wanted to sign him at Red Bull

Zak Brown with Helmut Marko at the F1 Dutch Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Alex Palou is embroiled in a $20 million lawsuit with McLaren Racing over a breach of contract. In 2022, the Spaniard committed to joining the team in 2023. However, he was under contract with Chip Ganassi Racing for that season, and after some talks between the two, the move was pushed to 2024.

In mid-2023, the IndyCar champion decided he wouldn't join McLaren. He reasoned that McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown had lured him to drive for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar with the promise of an F1 seat in the future. However, the seat then went to Oscar Piastri.

During a recent hearing in the London courts, Palou claimed that in 2023, Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko had shown interest in signing him for AlphaTauri (now Racing Bulls). However, Zak Brown supposedly intervened with a direct phone call to Marko. After that, the Red Bull opportunity immediately shut down.

"There had been some rumours in the media about AlphaTauri looking for a F1 driver, and my name was in the mix. In June 2023, I contacted and had a conversation over the phone with Helmut Marko. Helmut was open to me driving for them, and asked for the conditions of my McLaren release," the IndyCar star said in court (via Motorsport Magazine).

"Zak had directly called Helmut, and apparently Helmut had told Zak he was not interested anymore. I don’t know what happened in that conversation, but for sure it didn’t help because suddenly Helmut was not interested anymore," the Chip Ganassi Racing driver added.

McLaren is seeking over $20 million in damages from Alex Palou for leaving the team after committing, which led to sponsors backing out on both IndyCar and F1 fronts. In 2026, he'll continue driving for Chip Ganassi Racing and has voluntarily ruled out a move to F1.