F1 | McLaren back in court, and this time Red Bull is also involved
Alex Palou has denied ever discussing with Zak Brown a potential announcement of his move to McLaren in IndyCar, while concluding his testimony at the High Court in London. The Spanish driver is at the center of a legal case initiated by McLaren Indy LLC for alleged breach of contract. This followed his withdrawal from an agreement that was supposed to bring him to the American team after a Formula 1 opportunity did not materialize.
Palou admitted to breaching the contract but strongly rejected accusations of having “misled McLaren.” He maintained that he was always willing to honor the IndyCar project if a Formula 1 opportunity had not arisen.
Piastri preferred over Palou: the first step of the “problem”
According to court proceedings, Palou had signed an initial contract with McLaren on March 4, 2022, which included an option for a potential Formula 1 seat in 2024. However, when the Woking team chose Oscar Piastri in 2023, Palou began to have serious doubts about the project. Subsequently, on October 1, 2022, he signed a new agreement covering the 2024–2026 period, with an option for 2027 in favor of McLaren.
The day after the 2023 Indianapolis 500, Palou met with Zak Brown — who was also present in court — to discuss his future and request a salary more in line with “fair market value” after a renewal offer from the Chip Ganassi Racing team. It was from this point that misunderstandings began.
Palou denied ever discussing with Brown a press conference with sponsor NTT Data to officially announce his move to McLaren. “I never had that conversation,” the Spanish driver stated firmly, also rejecting Brown’s claims that “Alex was excited to talk about it with his parents present at the race.”
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