IndyCar chief Alex Palou has ‘no intention of honoring his contract’ with McLaren upcoming season,’ workforce says
Alexander Rossi and Felix Rosenqvist have been talked about as replacements Palou rebuked Chip Ganassi Racing’s try to choose up the choice for 2023 DailyMail.com delivers all the newest global sports activities news
The extended contractual saga bordering IndyCar championship chief Alex Palou took a further wild twist Friday when the head of McLaren Racing explained to his crew the Spaniard has ‘no intention of honoring his contract’ with the staff upcoming yr.
In a letter despatched to the Arrow McLaren Racing employees by boss Zak Brown, a copy of which was received by The Connected Press, Brown wrote that Palou experienced offered him multiple assurances he’d be sporting papaya in 2024 and has presently obtained an progress on his income.
The letter was despatched to McLaren workers shortly just after Friday’s remaining IndyCar Sequence on-observe session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Last July, Palou shockingly entered the cost-free agent market place when he publicly rebuked Chip Ganassi Racing’s endeavor to pick up the alternative Ganassi held on him for 2023.
Palou explained he alternatively was joining both McLaren’s IndyCar software and had a Components One contract.
Alex Palou has made a decision to inform McLaren Racing he will not be a part of their team at the year’s close
Alexander Rossi and Felix Rosenqvist have been talked about as prospective replacements
Ganassi fought it and the sides settled with Palou remaining in IndyCar with Ganassi this year, but testing as a reserve driver for McLaren on his off weekends.
He was slated to be a part of McLaren full-time at the end of this IndyCar period, and was in entire McLaren papaya-coloured gear at Formulation One’s Miami Grand Prix in Could.
Palou is now closing in on his next IndyCar title in 3 many years driving for Ganassi. The 26-12 months-old Spaniard is in his fourth season of IndyCar – 3 with Ganassi – but has very long held F1 ambitions.
‘This is unbelievably disappointing looking at the commitment he has designed to us each specifically and publicly and our sizeable financial investment in him primarily based on that motivation,’ Brown wrote to his workers.
‘We focused a whole lot of time, revenue and methods preparing to welcome Alex into our team for the reason that we believed in him and ended up hunting forward to IndyCar wins with him. Coming out of his group dispute previous drop, we ended up confident by Alex of his dedication to Arrow McLaren mirrored in the deal he entered into with us.’
Pato O’ Ward is also on McLaren’s record of potential alternative for Palou next time
Brown explained he has been reassured by Palou a number of times since this year’s Indianapolis 500 in Could that he would be with McLaren future 12 months.
Mainly because of people promises, Brown wrote ‘we have paid out him a sizeable very first payment toward his 2024 season in addition to the millions of bucks toward developing him in our System 1 tests system and in his reserve driver role with a prospective drive in F1 in the future.’
Brown wrote that the McLaren expects Palou to honor his deal with the team, but will pursue 2024 driver lineup opportunities as the dispute is settled.
McLaren currently fields IndyCar teams for Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi.