The McLaren team principal, Zak Brown, has been accused of destroying evidence in a case involving IndyCar champion Álex Palou, who reneged on his agreement to drive for the team.
Brown was cross-examined in the High Court by Palou’s KC Nick de Marco this week, who confronted him with a series of WhatsApp messages the defendant submitted just before the hearing — including one where the McLaren chief tells others to delete messages.
Palou, 28, agreed in October 2022 to drive for McLaren from 2024, but in August 2023 he announced that he would not fulfil the agreement. He has admitted breach of contract but disputes that he should pay damages — McLaren are claiming $20.7million (£15.4million).
Brown, left, seen with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, was confronted with a series of WhatsApp messages while being cross-examined
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De Marco challenged Brown over the WhatsApp messages, but the McLaren boss denied destroying any evidence.
In one group message from Brown in August 2023, just before Palou’s decision to remain with the Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) team was made public, he wrote: “Keep everything WhatsApp amd [sic] then delete.”
Brown also told the court that using the disappearing messages function was “normal business policy”.
Palou, 28, admits breach of contract but disputes that he should pay the damages that McLaren are claiming
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De Marco challenged him saying: “You have destroyed evidence in this case. You have deliberately turned on disappearing messages after you have been told not to.”
Brown replied: “I was not destroying evidence.”
The court was also shown the former McLaren IndyCar team manager, Gavin Ward, telling a journalist after his job was terminated that “turning off McLaren’s mandated seven−day disappearing messages setting feels truly liberating”.
Asked why the function was used, Ward replied: “Yep . . . to cover their ass on lawsuits. Talk about a red flag.”
Brown responded in court saying: “This has nothing to do with me. I think it’s his opinion.”
The High Court is due to hear further argument from Palou’s legal team about McLaren’s use of nicotine advertising.
Rebrand sends the circus packing
The rebranding of the European Club Association as “European Football Clubs” means the organisation will no longer face complaints from the European Circus Association that it had the rights to the ECA acronym (insert your own joke here . . .).
It wasn’t just the circus acts that had protested — there had also been contact from the European Cheerleaders Association.
Gaza ceasefire strengthens love-in
Fifa’s president Gianni Infantino rarely wastes an opportunity to lavish praise on Donald Trump and certainly did not do so this week when welcoming the ceasefire in Gaza.
“Everyone around the world should now fully support this peace process. President Donald J Trump definitely deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his decisive actions,” Infantino posted on Instagram.
Infantino is convinced that his pal Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
RON SACHS/CNP / SPLASH
Trump’s plan certainly averted a Uefa vote to ban Israel from European competition, a threat sources said created consternation among Israel’s political leadership as they feared other sports would follow suit.
Oyston, 91, takes Blackpool to court
Owen Oyston, the 91-year-old controversial former owner of Blackpool FC, is going to court to fight an attempt by the club to evict him from a penthouse flat in the stadium.
It is not known if Oyston ever visits the apartment or stays there but the case has been listed for next month. Oyston was found by a High Court judge in 2017 to have taken £26.77million from the club in an “illegitimate stripping” of their resources after promotion to the Premier League in 2010.
Tigers hard man brought to book
White after Leicester’s 1981 John Player Cup final victory at Twickenham
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The former Leicester Tigers prop, Martin Whitcombe, has written a book on the life of Chalkie White, the coach who made the team a feared force during the 1970s and 80s, but was bizarrely overlooked by England.
White introduced tactics and fitness to Leicester at a time when many clubs were wedded to an amateur approach. Whitcombe’s book includes recollections from the former England fly half, Les Cusworth, of White being “a very hard man” who would take him to task for kicking the ball when there was an opportunity to run it.
During the squad’s intense fitness sessions, Cusworth remembers White’s voice booming: “While you’re doing this, other teams will already be in the bar.” Whitcombe’s son James also played as prop for Leicester before moving to Edinburgh at the start of this season.
Jockey club put shirt on Stylsvig
Casper Stylsvig, Chelsea’s former chief revenue officer, has joined the Hong Kong Jockey Club — which has an annual turnover of $38billion — as executive director, sports business.
Stylsvig, who previously worked at Barcelona, Manchester United and AC Milan, said his appointment was “an incredible honour”. Meanwhile Chelsea are still without a shirt sponsor which would be willing to pay a fee that is deemed acceptable by the owners.