Four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou has claimed that McLaren chief executive Zak Brown didn’t want to sign Australian driver Oscar Piastri three years ago in an eye-opening witness statement submitted to the UK High Court during his ongoing legal battle with the F1 team.
Indianapolis 500 winner Palou and his associated management companies are being sued by McLaren for US$20.7 million (AU$30 million) for an alleged breach of contract that cost the Woking-based team potential sponsorship revenue.
The Spanish driver claimed he reneged his IndyCar contract because he thought he had little prospect of moving to McLaren’s grand prix team after Piastri joined in 2023, disputing the level of damages.
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There was subsequently a public wrangle between Palou’s then-team Chip Ganassi Racing and McLaren, with both claiming his IndyCar services for 2023.
Palou signed a deal with McLaren’s IndyCar operation in July 2022, claiming it was implied he would be given opportunities to drive in Formula 1. However, the now 28-year-old pulled out of the deal after Piastri famously announced on social media he would be joining McLaren in September 2022, meaning there was no vacant seat at the F1 team.
“I was very upset, worried and angry that McLaren had signed another rookie driver other than me,” Palou, who served as McLaren’s reserve driver in 2023, said in his witness statement, according to Motor Sport Magazine.
Palou added that Brown told his management in September 2022 that Piastri’s deal “would not interfere with (his) chances to get into F1”.
“The only attraction was to go to F1,” Palou said.
“My ambition was because it is the biggest single-seater series in the world.”
He continued: “Zak told me he believed we could make it happen and that he would give me all the preparation I needed to get to F1.
“At the time I thought he was genuine.”
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Palou and Brown discussed the matter further in a meeting in October 2022, during which the McLaren boss allegedly claimed it “was not his decision” to sign Piastri.
“He said it was the decision of the team manager Andreas Seidl,” Palou said.
“Zak told me Piastri’s performance would be evaluated against mine for 2024. Zak said that, from his point of view, my chance of getting the F1 seat was not affected by Oscar.
“However, I knew everything had changed. From that point on, I started to be more willing to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing in the future.”
Palou also claimed F1 team AlphaTauri had shown interest in signing him, revealing he spoke with Red Bull chief adviser Helmut Marko in June 2023. However, the Spaniard said the team’s interest in him dwindled after they approached McLaren to discuss terms of “buying out” his contract.
Brown strongly denied the claims, saying he never told Palou he would be “under consideration” for an F1 seat.