Michael Andretti has backed dominant Indycar driver Alex Palou to succeed in Formula 1.
Andretti is currently trying to convince F1 and the FIA to give his racing empire a place on the grid for 2025 - and admits he would put Colton Herta in one cockpit.
But he also admits to having an eye on Spaniard Palou, who is dominating the current Indycar championship with rival team Chip Ganassi.
"He's very, very good," Andretti, 60, told Marca sports newspaper when asked about 26-year-old Palou.
"One of the best drivers in the world, I really believe that," the American added. "Right now he is the dominant driver of Indycar.
"I lost the opportunity to sign him a few years ago. I felt that he was a very talented driver, we were talking and it was about to be done, but something happened that stopped it.
"Chip then spoke to him and he preferred to go that way.
"But I think there is no doubt that he could be competitive in a Formula 1 car."
Andretti is currently waiting for F1 and the FIA to decide if his Cadillac-backed Formula 1 team bid will be permitted onto the grid.
Many of the existing teams have expressed concerns not only about the dilution of their prize fund, but about whether there is even room on the tracks for an eleventh team.
"I mean already now we're looking like a go-kart track, tripping over each other," said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. "There is a safety concern.
"We haven't got the logistics of where to put an eleventh team."
When asked about those comments, Andretti smiled: "I don't know what danger there is. It's a bit funny, to be honest.
"We try not to pay much attention to those sorts of comments."
