F1 | McLaren-Palou trial: Alex speaks out, “I thought Brown was sincere. Piastri’s signing unsettled me”. Alex Palou testifies in the McLaren legal case.

The legal battle between McLaren and four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou continues at the High Court in London. The Woking-based team is seeking around $21 million in damages after Palou broke his contract to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing for the 2024 season.

Palou takes the stand

Following testimony from McLaren CEO Zak Brown, it was Alex Palou’s turn to speak in court. Palou’s defense is clear: he claims he was enticed by McLaren with the promise of a Formula 1 seat, a promise that was later unfulfilled. According to Alex Palou’s legal team, this should have allowed the Spanish driver to remain with his original team, Chip Ganassi Racing, where he is still competing.

The role of Piastri

Palou’s testimony was particularly revealing because it touched on current F1 World Championship leader Oscar Piastri, albeit only as a “citation.” Referring to his planned move to McLaren, Palou stated: “The only attraction was to go to F1. That was my ambition, because it’s the biggest series in the world. During testing with McLaren, Zak told me he believed we could make it and that he would provide all the necessary preparation to reach F1. At the time, I thought he was sincere.”

The first sign that the agreement was derailing came with McLaren’s official announcement of Oscar Piastri’s signing for 2023. Oscar Piastri had joined Woking after a tough legal battle with Alpine. Palou commented on the situation: “I was very unsettled, worried, and angry because McLaren had signed another rookie driver instead of me. On September 22 [the managers] had a conversation with Zak, and Zak told them they needed someone fast for 2023 […] but that this would not interfere with my chances of entering F1.”

Growing distrust towards Brown

Finally, Palou described having dinner with Zak Brown after Oscar Piastri’s signing. The Spanish driver explained that Brown told him the decision to sign Piastri had been made by Andreas Seidl, the team principal until December 2022. “Zak told me that Piastri’s performance would be evaluated against mine for 2024. He also said that, from his point of view, my chances of securing an F1 seat were not affected by Oscar. However, I knew that everything had changed,” Alex Palou concluded, “from that moment on, I became more inclined to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing in the future.”