INDIANAPOLIS — IndyCar champion Alex Palou, who has contracts signed with two completely different race groups for 2023 and is being sued by Chip Ganassi Racing, declared Thursday: “I might be within the McLaren household subsequent yr.”
The cleaning soap opera over Palou’s future continued with extra twists and turns than the Spaniard will face Saturday within the highway course race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ganassi this week filed a lawsuit in Marion County Superior Courtroom in Indianapolis that names as defendants each Palou and ALPA Racing, which is listed as Palou’s “racing entity.”
At concern is the contract Ganassi holds with the 25-year-old driver. The group proprietor says he picked up his unique possibility on Palou to carry him again subsequent yr for a 3rd season; Palou says he knowledgeable CGR he is leaving and signed a contract with McLaren Racing.
McLaren boss Zak Brown has not determined if he’ll use Palou in a 3rd IndyCar seat or in Components One, however Palou for the primary time for the reason that saga started July 12 firmly said he might be sporting McLaren’s papaya orange subsequent season.
“We’re disenchanted that Chip Ganassi Racing would try and preserve Alex from a possibility to compete in Components One, and much more so with CGR’s public court docket filings and continued commentary to the press on this matter,” Palou’s legal professional, Rachel Epstein of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, mentioned Thursday. “We might hope the events can resolve this amicably, but when not, we stay up for resolving this matter in a personal arbitration, as CGR has requested.”
Epstein is the primary to acknowledge {that a} shot in F1 is a major cause for Palou wanting to depart Ganassi. Palou has not divulged a lot about his reasoning to leap from the No. 10 automobile after solely two seasons.
He has by no means pushed or examined an F1 automobile earlier than however does maintain the tremendous license required by governing physique FIA to compete on the planet’s high motorsports collection. Requested if it was McLaren’s skill to get him into F1, a wage dispute or one thing else that was luring him away from Ganassi, Palou declined to say. However does he wish to drive an F1 automobile?
“Everyone needs to,” he mentioned.
How does he make that occur?
“I am not a lawyer; I am a racing driver,” Palou mentioned, shrugging.
All the paddock is watching the Palou state of affairs play out as drivers are uncertain if Ganassi’s No. 10 automobile might be open.
The state of affairs emerged too late for rookie Callum Ilott, who started talks in April with Juncos Hollinger Racing on a contract extension that was formally introduced Thursday. The 23-year-old British driver who has been a part of the Ferrari Components One improvement program mentioned different groups have reached out to him over the previous two weeks. Nevertheless it was too late for Ilott to maneuver on to an even bigger program.
“The final couple weeks have been attention-grabbing for the entire paddock I feel. It has been fairly entertaining,” Ilott mentioned. “I am a person of my phrase. In fact, there was loads of curiosity from different individuals, however I used to be very sincere from the very starting if anybody approached me.”
Palou actually sounds as if he expects his present seat at Ganassi to be obtainable subsequent yr to a different driver, however within the meantime is within the thick of one other title race. He misplaced floor final weekend in the course of the Iowa Speedway doubleheader and heads into the race Saturday sixth within the standings, 44 factors behind chief and teammate Marcus Ericsson.
Requested if he can nonetheless win the championship amid all of the distractions, Palou mentioned, “It will likely be wonderful after I do.”
Ericsson mentioned he’ll proceed to talk to Palou and work together with his teammate till directed to cease, however CGR has reduce Palou’s entry to group knowledge. Palou and Ganassi haven’t spoken for the reason that fallout started three races in the past.
“Individuals are going to have opinions, however I’m not afraid of individuals pondering I am a monster for being in the course of this as a result of on the finish of the day they do not actually know what’s going on,” Palou mentioned.
Amongst those that aren’t certain about Palou’s character are star Arrow McLaren SP driver Pato O’Ward, who might be teammates in IndyCar with Palou subsequent yr.
Palou’s contract is particularly with McLaren Racing, which implies Brown can use him anyplace within the group. O’Ward’s contract is with Arrow McLaren — and each drivers need a shot at F1.
“I feel many drivers thought we knew who he was,” O’Ward mentioned. “I really feel like he’ll say loads of issues however then he does the exact opposite, which I do not assume is a secret. We have all seen it. It type of looks like reverse psychology, so no matter he is saying, anticipate absolutely the distinction.”