F1 News: Alex Palou Confirms Severed Ties With McLaren As Snub Continues
The off-track drama between IndyCar champion Alex Palou and the McLaren F1 team has been flooding headlines recently. While many anticipated Palou's appearance with McLaren during the F1 season, McLaren accused him of sidestepping what they considered a binding agreement for 2024, prompting them to take legal action.
Despite these tensions, Palou was originally scheduled as McLaren's official reserve driver for the upcoming Singapore GP. In a twist of irony, McLaren's racing CEO, Zak Brown, mentioned Palou’s hotel accommodation was set, though he didn’t foresee him showing up. Palou's stance on this was unequivocal, stating:
“I’m not going to go to any F1 races."
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Rewinding to 2022, Palou had shown interest in transitioning from Chip Ganassi to McLaren. However, a subsequent out-of-court settlement saw him stay with Ganassi, while only partaking in F1 test roles with McLaren. This agreement was seemingly short-lived. By December 2022, Palou was slated to be McLaren's F1 reserve post his IndyCar season for 2023.
Following his second championship win with Ganassi, Palou’s relationship with McLaren soured. The F1 team initiated a UK lawsuit against him, pointing to a supposed contract breach for the 2024 IndyCar season and matters related to financial dealings.
Brown, when queried by The Race about the implications of Palou's actions on McLaren's F1 strategies, confirmed, “He’s still our reserve driver.” However, he foresaw Palou’s potential absence in Singapore and alluded to seeking alternative reserve drivers.
Palou confirmed he would not attend any F1 races, sharing: “Yeah, the plan’s changed. I’m not going to go to any F1 races”. He also verified that there had been no direct discussions with Brown since the controversy erupted.
