And is being Tail Gunner Charlie in Formula 1 really
that appealing?
Obviously as a cellar dwelling Blogger, Alex
Palou, His Management team or anyone else in the IndyCar paddock Doesn’t give a
Tinkers Damn what I scribble ‘bout here upon No Fenders! And certainly I’ll be
the last to get the Gory Memo over what Palou ultimately intends to do for the
2024 season…
Following His Beatdown upon the IndyCar field
at Road America, where I just sat around in Thy Basement muttering Animal
outloud to myself! I simply cannot understand why Palou would wish to leave Chip
Ganassi Racing (CGR) in what seems another IndyCar championship season’s ride.
And that was
before Palou continued His Monstrous season’s winning performances when
claiming His fourth win in five races at Mid-Ohio!
Yet listening to one of Marshall Pruett’s the
Week in IndyCar Podcast, with Marshall going on a long diatribe over just how
scary good Palou’s become this year prior to Road America. Pruett seemed fairly
emphatic over staying at CGR would only be Option number three for Palou, if
that? With Marshall saying it’s not an option, and Palou will leave CGR
regardless at the end of this year.
Apparently Option number one is the Siren Song call
of Formula 1. Although even with some scuttlebutt suggesting there’s two F1
teams interested in Him, i.e.; McLaren and Scuderia AlphaTauri. Arse-sumedly
the only true optin is AlphaTauri. Since I seriously doubt that either of McLaren
F1 boyz’ Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri are going anywhere soon!
Especially when the pair just Shone at McLaren’s
Home race with Lando and Oscar starting an excellent P2-3. With Norris scoring
a fine second place behind Red Bull’s MaxiMillions’, His second career podium. And
Piastri scoring His best finish to date of fourth.
Failing Palou going to the current Faenza based
F1 AlphaTauri Back-marker. Pruett tends to believe that Palou’s got a Handshake
deal with Mr. Zakery Brown to drive for Arrow McLaren beginning in 2024, which
Ain’t exactly a secret in IndyCar-land!
What I find somewhat difficult to understand is
why Palou would wish to go to Arrow McLaren? Which to Mwah, still hasn’t proved
it’s of true Championship caliber organization that’s able to beat the likes of
Penske, Ganassi or at times, Andretti.
Thus I can only Arse-sume that Palou is so
motivated to give His current Boss Cheep’, aka Chip Ganassi the will Power “double
Bird” Salute! Telling Him He’s Numero Uno for failing to give Him His desired
pay raise last season and now wishes to make Cheep’ regret filing the lawsuit
against Him last year…
As for heading to AlphaTauri and Formula 1, is
this really a better situation than staying put in Indy Cars? Since currently,
prior to the Austrian Grand Prix, which was another MaxiMillions’ Red Bull Whitewash,
Groan! Which I didn’t bother to tune into…
AlphaTauri was then ranked tenth out of the ten
F1 Constructors, with a measly two points! Courtesy of Yuki Tsunoda’s brace of
tenth place finishes.
Whilst sixth
thru tenth weren’t exactly setting the world alight. Led by McLaren’s 17-points.
Followed by Haas with 11-points, Alfa Romeo with 9-points and Williams with 7-points,
after Alex Albon’s impressive seventh place finish at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve!
Whilst following Austria; McLaren leapt to 29-points
with Lando Norris’s fourth place finish. And then the Woking based squad netted
30 more points at Silverstone, vaulting them to fifth ahead of Alpine, who were
stuck on 47-points following a double retirement.
And whilst Williams and Haas became tied wit 11
markers apiece. Williams moved to P7 wit Albon’s eighth place finish. And
apparently the team has better finishing results vs. Haas.
Whilst Alfa Romeo still has four and a half times
more points than AlphaTauri, with nine. With AlphaTauri standing pat Dead last with
it’s measly 2-points total.
Scuttlebutt also suggest that AlphaTauri rookie
Nyck de Vries, who’s been struggling to get up to pace this year has already
been given a “Yellow Card” warning by Der Helmut’, aka Dr. Helmut Marco, and
may be Axed before His Home Dutch Grand Prix? As de Vries and fellow rookie
Logan Sargeant of Williams are the only two f1 drivers with 0-points to their 2023
ledger.
With Red Bull Junior Driver Liam Lawson waiting
in the wings, would Palou wish to subject Himself to this type of pressure?Since
the last two Stateside drivers to drive for Scuderia Toro Rosso, AlphaTauri’s
previous incarnation had less than stellar outings.
With Scotty “The Goose” Speed becoming Franz
tost’s punching bag, and le Hamburgular’, nee Sebastien Bourdais also having a
miserable time there before returning to IndyCar…
But at age 26, Palou’s time is running out for
a F1 drive, and I suppose if He chooses to depart with two IndyCar Championship
titles on His “CV”. He can always return to IndyCar in the future.
But the $64k question then would be who would Hire
Him? And would He get another Championship winning ride?
And is running around at the tail end of the
Formula 1 grid on the streets of Monte Carlo more compelling than competing for
the immortality of having your face etched upon the Borg Warner trophy?
And lastly, it’s scary noting that Williams is currently
the superior option over AlphaTauri! Since Williams has years to go to become
just a proper Midfield runner.
But then again, obviously I’m just speculating here, and will be Ah-Waitin’ with Baited Breath like Y’all to see what Palou does for the rest of this season and beyond…
