Mario Andretti sends candid message to Alex Palou for making other IndyCar champs look 'ridiculous'

Racing legend Mario Andretti shared a message of 'respect' to Alex Palou for his outright dominance in IndyCar in 2025 and his reign in the sport over the last five seasons. The Spaniard equaled Andretti in the series' history books, earning his fourth IndyCar championship in 2025.

It was Palou's most successful season in the American open-wheel racing series. He won eight of 17 races, including the Indy 500, and displayed a spectacle that IndyCar hadn't witnessed since Al Unser Jr did the same with eight wins in 1994 en route to his second championship.

Mario Andretti, who was on the grid when Unser Jr achieved the feat, made his feelings known about Alex Palou replicating the extraordinary season. In an interview with MARCA, the 85-year-old said:

"My message to him is... slow down! (laughs) He makes the rest of us look ridiculous! He's an exceptional talent. Someone like him only comes along every 10 or 15 years. We already had the experience with Fernando Alonso in our team... I don't know what's in the water in Spain, but I'd like to drink some of it."

Alonso debuted in the Indy 500 in 2017, as McLaren collaborated with Honda and Andretti Autosport, which was then owned by Mario Andretti's son, Michael Andretti.

"You are very fortunate in Spain for the talent you have in motorsport," Andretti added. "I follow MotoGP, the Márquez brothers, Marc and Álex... but Palou is truly a talent who will achieve many records in IndyCar if he stays here his whole career. I have great respect for him... but I want to tell him to slow down, so the rest of us can catch him."

Palou gave Chip Ganassi Racing its 17th IndyCar championship in 2025, putting it on par with Team Penske, and also handed the team its sixth Indy 500 win in May.

Alex Palou responds to Mario Andretti's hilarious 'slow down' message

Alex Palou with his IndyCar championship trophy after the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Alex Palou responded to Mario Andretti's praise for him and the retired racing legend's joke about asking him to slow down with his achievement. Earlier this year, the 1978 F1 champion had also compared Palou to Max Verstappen, calling the Spaniard "a rare type of talent that comes in once every generation, every 20 years."

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver responded to Andretti's recent comments and shed light on their relationship.

"I have a very good relationship with him," Alex Palou said via Marca. "He's a legend, everyone respects him, the fans, the drivers from his era, from mine... But I'm sorry to tell you that I'm not going to listen to him, I'm not going to back down, so you can tell him... I'll tell him myself when I see him."

Mario Andretti had also reportedly considered Alex Palou for a Cadillac F1 seat for 2026. The 85-year-old is the director of the General Motors-backed team, which will enter F1 next year. Cadillac F1 eventually proceeded with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas to lead its program.

Edited by Yash Kotak