1997 F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has suggested a left-field name for Racing Bulls to consider for a 2026 F1 driver.
The Faenza-based squad has not yet confirmed who will race for the team next year.
Isack Hadjar is widely expected to move to Red Bull and join Max Verstappen, while the two Racing Bulls drives will likely come down to a choice between Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda and Arvid Lindblad.
Red Bull had previously suggested it would make a decision after the Mexico City Grand Prix, however, speaking in Mexico, team boss Laurent Mekies insisted it would not rush the selection.
Villeneuve is aligned with the belief that Hadjar, who is enjoying a successful rookie campaign, will be moved up to the senior squad next year.
But when asked who he would field at Racing Bulls in 2026, Villeneuve replied: “Keep Liam Lawson and then go take [Alex] Palou from IndyCar.”
Palou has been enjoying a highly successful stint in IndyCar since joining the series, winning four titles in the six seasons he's been part of the grid.
Having also triumphed at the Indianapolis 500 earlier this year for the first time, Villeneuve believes the Spaniard's ability to deal with high-pressure situations makes him a viable candidate for Red Bull.
“He’s winning races, under pressure, under every kind of circumstances,” Villeneuve stated. “He’s a perfect future Red Bull driver - test him out.”
“He’s a known quantity as a race car driver, and he's had much better training in practice than a Formula 2 driver.
“He’s running under tremendous pressure, the Indy 500, different kind of tracks, and he's always at the top.
“He's Spanish, he understands Europe. He’d adapt very easily.”
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