00:00Well, the first message to him is to slow down, please.
00:04He's making everybody else look bad.
00:08He's a very exceptional talent, I can tell you.
00:14Talent like that comes around every 10, 15 years.
00:19And I'm so, I have to tell you, I've been so impressed to him
00:26at the way he adapted, especially to oval racing,
00:31where, you know, usually a European driver comes in
00:35and oval racing is something totally new.
00:40And it seemed like he really, he got into that quite quickly.
00:48The good thing about Indianapolis, especially, which you want,
00:51you have the luxury of doing a lot of testing there prior to the race.
00:58But he took advantage of every bit of time he had.
01:02And in the race, he was, obviously, he became a winner.
01:07So that's something that is very, very special.
01:13And, oh, again, you know, we had experience with, on our team with Fernando Alonso.
01:24I don't know what's in the water in Spain, but it's, I would like to drink some of that.
01:31But Fernando, too, was, is another one that adapted quite well, you know.
01:38So you're very fortunate in Spain to have fantastic talents in motorsports.
01:46I follow MotoGP and, you know, the Marquez brothers, you know, with Mark, Alex, but others, you know.
01:55So anyway, but Alex Palau is, is really, really a talent that will be making many records in IndyCar,
02:13I think, if he stays for the, for the duration, you know, of his career.
02:19And here again, I have tremendous respect for him.
02:25And I don't know what to ask him because the only thing I can ask him is to please slow down
02:32so the rest of them can catch up, for sure.
02:36I mean, his career is very young in IndyCar and it's been on fire right from the beginning.
02:44And what I, I think what impresses me the most that his demeanor, his attitude is very relaxed
02:57and also looks like, like he's really enjoying what he's doing.
03:04And that tells me longevity, you know, like he's going to be around a long time.
03:11And, and that's tough for the competition, quite honestly.
03:15So he's, he's with a very good team, of course, you know, Ganassi team, they've produced champions before.
03:24And, and his teammate, you know, obviously is also a champion and he has shown the way, you know, in his team.
03:38And so great quality, that's all I can tell you.
03:43And, and it record speaks for itself.
03:46We have spoken, I've, you know, we've talked about him with Michael and I said many times, I said, why didn't you grab him?
03:54Why didn't you, when you had, if you had the opportunity, but I'm sure that Michael is, you know, not the only one that is thinking that way.
04:04Many others, you know, we made a move and, and again, but I think he's with the right team for sure.
04:15You know, I'm sure he's obviously happy there.
04:19And, and so, again, we have a lot to look forward to, for sure.
04:25I would be surprised if he's not dreaming about Formula One because, you know, ultimately I, you know, obviously I was very fortunate too, you know, to, to have, you know, a good, you know, good times in IndyCar and, and having also, you know, even when I came out of Formula One and made, it was my home.
04:52Um, but ultimately, you know, I was always, I would not have been satisfied if I would not have given Formula One a full, you know, effort because as you know, if you look at my career, I started, I was doing it part-time because I could not afford to go, you know, financially, I could not afford to go Formula One in the seventies.
05:14You know, you know, a, the earning power wasn't there.
05:17And I had to think about that because, uh, thinking of my family, um, you know, the sport was not as safe as it is today.
05:26And, uh, so I want to make sure that my family, something happened to me.
05:31That was something on my mind that, um, I had that responsibility, but, uh, anyway, everything happened the right way for me.
05:39And, uh, and I'm sure it will happen for him as well.
05:43So if he has that ambition, you know, to, uh, to get into Formula One, uh, he better maybe just do it after next year because, because, you know, age, age is a factor.
05:56And, uh, and, uh, and he's, he's coming up to that, uh, point.
06:01I mean, I did not go full-time in Formula One until 35 years old.
06:07So, uh, he has some fuzz factors.
06:10We have to say that we're quite happy with, uh, uh, the fact that we have Cechto and, uh, and Valtteri, uh, you know, because, uh, their experience.
06:21And, uh, experience, especially for a new team, is very, very important.
06:27So I think, uh, we're fortunate there.
06:31Um, and, uh, I think, uh, you know, he's a talent, but he's still, he's fresh.
06:37You know, he would have to, the best thing for him is to go with a top team, of course.
06:43You know, that's the only way that you have an opportunity to get results.
06:47Um, and, um, his talent would probably give him that opportunity.
06:52Uh, I was lucky enough myself, you know, to, you know, I won my first race with Ferrari, and then I won the championship with Lotus, which, uh, teams that are capable, teams that have produced world champions.
07:05You know, so you have to do the same.
07:08Uh, and, um, I'm sure he, like I said, if and when he decides to do Formula One, I'm sure it will be with the top team.
07:16The tradition is more than a hundred years, and that's immense, uh, as an event.
07:25And, um, and, and again, uh, I remember that, uh, uh, Fernando Alonso, when he was with us, uh, on race day, he said, oh my God, now I know what this means.
07:37Looking around, uh, and, uh, and I know my experience when I was a rookie there, uh, in those days qualifying, you had 200,000 people there.
07:49And I said, oh my God, they're only looking at me, you know, they will follow every second, you know, me on the track.
08:01So, you know, I was nervous a little bit going out of the pits, but it's something that you figure, uh, you never experienced that, uh, on race day.
08:11It's a racing event, you know, it's, uh, it's, it's, it's spectacular in that respect.
08:18Um, and, uh, but, you know, uh, tradition is very strong and, um, and that's what this is.
08:26Uh, you look back at, uh, history, you want to be part of it, uh, you know, it's a matter of pride and it's got all of that going for it.
08:35The thing that comes to me, uh, I mean, clearly how important it is that I won, you know, Formula One, I won, uh, you know, other, I won championships.
08:49And everybody's, oh, Mario 1969, I said, oh man, that was only one race.
08:55But they remember that, they remember that.
08:59And, uh, so it, uh, it, it, it drives it home for me how important it is career-wise to put that race under your belt.
09:09And, uh, and now, you know, Spain can claim that, you know, that they won this classic.
09:15It's a classic event, you know, let's face it.
09:19But, uh, Indy 500, Le Mans, and, uh, you know, they're the ones that have, uh, all of that going for them.
09:28As a driver, you want to have that on your port, in your portfolio.
09:34All of these things could happen.
09:35I mean, it's, uh, it's a matter of, uh, just assessing things as time go on.
09:41You know, you can't, uh, make any promises now.
09:44But, uh, as a team, you're always looking at the best opportunity you have.
09:50Uh, drivers are looking for the best opportunity as far as a team.
09:54And the team is looking in the same way as drivers.
09:57So, if, if you're at the top of the sheets anywhere, you know, you are definitely someone that everyone is looking, you know, the top teams will be looking for.
10:08Talent is rare.
10:10Real, special talent is really rare.
10:13So, everybody goes for it.
10:16And, uh, and you want to be, if you're in a team, a team owner, that's what you need on your team, obviously.
10:24It's, it's all about, you know, trying to have something better than the competition has, you know, that's, that's the name of the game.
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