McLaren has filed a lawsuit against 2021 IndyCar champion Alex Palou, the latest chapter in the evolving back-and-forth regarding the future endeavors of the 26-year-old Spaniard.
The opening chapter transpired last summer when Chip Ganassi Racing announced it had inked Palou to a contract extension, something that was quickly refuted by the driver on social media, which then led to McLaren revealing they had signed him to a dynamic contract that involved both IndyCar and Formula 1 testing.
This exchange led to litigation, resulting in an agreement where Palou would continue with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2023 but would also test in Formula with McLaren, all with an eye to moving to Europe full-time by 2024.
Palou had been mum on his future, telling the media that he would not speak on the matter until after the IndyCar season had concluded, but McLaren CEO Zak Brown was more forthright in making public declarations that the driver had “no intention” of honoring the agreement.
IndyStar reported that lawsuits have been filed by both McLaren Racing Limited and Arrow McLaren against Alex Palou and his racing establishment, ALPA Racing USA. The lawsuits, which were filed in the United Kingdom, signaled an intent to seek monetary retribution for the financial investments they put into Palou.
Speaking to Forbes, Brown revealed his mindset.
“We made a significant investment in Alex Palou, looking forward to racing with him in 2024,” Brown said. “We’re placing our trust in the legal system to resolve this matter and will keep our comments at that. As a team, we’re turning our focus to the final races this season and on our plans for 2024, which we’ll announce once we’re ready.”
Brown also offered the following detail.
“[We] paid a significant first payment toward his 2024 season, in addition to the millions of dollars toward developing him in our Formula 1 testing program and in his reserve driver role with a potential drive in F1 in the future.,” Brown said.
“Unfortunately, it now appears our belief, commitment, investment, and trust in Alex was misplaced, as it is not being reciprocated.
“This is incredibly disappointing, considering the commitment (Alex) has made to us both directly and publicly and our significant investment in him based on that commitment. We dedicated a lot of time, money, and resources preparing to welcome Alex into our team because we believed in him and were looking forward to IndyCar wins with him.
“Coming out of his team dispute last fall, we were assured by Alex of his commitment to Arrow McLaren reflected in the contract he entered into with us.”
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The future of Alex Palou following lawsuit
Palou has also ended his relationship with Monaco Increase Management, which had started the process of transitioning Palou form IndyCar towards a potential Formula 1 future.
Palou won the IndyCar championship in 2021 with three wins, eight podiums and 8.0 average finish. So, it really speaks volumes to his level of dominance in 2023 that he already has four wins, eight podiums and a 3.7 average finish.
He is an incredibly talented racer who will no doubt have no shortage of suitors, depending on what he is thinking for the future.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.