The messy saga surrounding Alex Palou’s racing future was lastly cleared up Wednesday when the Spanish driver stated he’ll return to Chip Ganassi Racing subsequent season — after which instantly hopped into one in every of McLaren’s automobiles for a Formulation One take a look at in Barcelona.

McLaren, in the meantime, stated Felix Rosenqvist would return to his IndyCar seat subsequent season, as two key drivers concerned within the sequence’ head-spinning foolish season fell into place.

IndyCar free company went wild in July when Palou, on the time the reigning IndyCar champion, stated he had signed with McLaren Racing for 2023 simply hours after Ganassi stated it had picked up an choice on his contract.

Ganassi promptly filed go well with in opposition to the driving force, and as they have been navigating by means of the courts, the edges additionally entered into mediation. Palou insisted he could be a McLaren driver in 2023, however indicators that one thing had shifted got here Sunday when he received the IndyCar season finale at Laguna Seca.

With Ganassi standing behind him in Victory Lane, Palou for the primary time indicated talks along with his present boss have been progressing and {that a} decision may very well be quickly.

It got here Wednesday when Palou tweeted he had reached an settlement to drive the No. 10 for a 3rd consecutive season.

Palou stated he was grateful Ganassi additionally will allow him to “pursue F1 testing” with McLaren outdoors of his IndyCar commitments. McLaren posted on social media that each Palou and Pato O’Ward, its present IndyCar driver, have been collaborating in a closed take a look at with older F1 automobiles Wednesday.

I am excited to announce that @CGRTeams and I’ve come to an settlement and I will be again within the No. 10 automotive subsequent season!

Wanting ahead to a BIG 2023! 🦍 pic.twitter.com/wIhaPdYj9q

— Alex Palou Montalbo (@AlexPalou) September 14, 2022

I am additionally grateful that @CGRTeams will enable me to pursue F1 testing with @McLarenF1 outdoors of my INDYCAR commitments.

— Alex Palou Montalbo (@AlexPalou) September 14, 2022

Thanks Chip, Mike and your complete workforce in your willingness to work collectively and assist assist each the workforce and my private objectives all through this course of. 💪

— Alex Palou Montalbo (@AlexPalou) September 14, 2022

McLaren’s different information was that Rosenqvist will likely be again with its IndyCar workforce subsequent yr in an expanded three-car lineup that provides 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi. Rosenqvist had mainly been on maintain all summer season due to the Palou saga.

McLaren had signed Palou, believing he was free and clear from his Ganassi contract, to drive in IndyCar and take a look at its F1 program. Palou additionally was the backup plan for its F1 workforce if McLaren was unable to land the rights to Oscar Piastri.

The Piastri deal was settled two weeks in the past, which all however ended Palou’s shot at shifting to F1 with McLaren anytime quickly. Getting out of his take care of Ganassi was going to be costly, and though McLaren was keen to assist fund a buyout, McLaren boss Zak Brown wasn’t going to overpay simply to get Palou a yr sooner than he can on the open market.

Rosenqvist, in the meantime, was in limbo.

If Palou took his seat, he was supposed to maneuver to McLaren’s new Formulation E workforce. However a fourth-place end within the Indy 500 made Rosenqvist need to keep in IndyCar, and he held off on signing the FE contract.

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McLaren held the choice on Rosenqvist in IndyCar by means of the tip of this month, and the longer it took to resolve the Palou saga with Ganassi, the messier it was going to be for each groups. Rosenqvist was decided to remain in IndyCar even when it meant leaving McLaren, and McLaren was vulnerable to dropping each Rosenqvist and Palou for 2023.

McLaren — or Ganassi or another workforce — could make a run at Palou for 2024. His take care of Ganassi is his unique two-year contract signed forward of 2021 by which Ganassi held an choice for the third season. The decision introduced Wednesday shouldn’t be a contract extension however is believed to have given Palou an honest wage bump that put him in keeping with different IndyCar champions.

Rosenqvist can also be signed by means of 2023, working in his unique McLaren contract.

“There is not any higher option to enter the offseason than with this information,” Rosenqvist stated. “I like this workforce, and I am so blissful to proceed working with all of the unimaginable folks I’ve gotten to know over the previous two seasons.”

Rosenqvist was the highest driver alternative for Juncos Hollinger Racing, which is increasing to 2 automobiles subsequent season. A.J. Foyt Racing additionally has to fill the seat being vacated by Kyle Kirkwood, who’s changing Rossi at Andretti Autosport.

It stays unclear if Andretti has one other seat to fill as Colton Herta awaits phrase from F1’s governing physique on if he will likely be authorized for the Tremendous License required to compete within the sequence. Crimson Bull and its junior workforce, AlphaTauri, have curiosity within the 22-year-old Californian, however he would not have sufficient amassed factors within the F1 scoring system to have a license to compete.

Michael Andretti instructed The Related Press he’s not on the lookout for a alternative driver as a result of he would not anticipate the FIA to approve Herta for a Tremendous License. He additionally stated Devlin DeFrancesco will return to the workforce for the second yr of DeFrancesco’s contract regardless of hypothesis Andretti was making an attempt to dump the rookie.

However it was the Palou saga that was clogging up free company, with even Indy Lights champion Linus Lundqvist not sure of the place he’ll land. After clinching the title Saturday at Laguna Seca — then bursting into tears over what the 23-year-old from Sweden stated was the best second of his life — he stated his racing future is unclear.

With the Indy Lights title, Lundqvist received scholarship cash he can use towards an IndyCar journey, however he stated most free agent exercise was on pause due to Palou. He was adamant he will not be again in Lights subsequent season, and when present workforce proprietor Henry Malukas was requested if there was an opportunity he might transfer Lundqvist as much as IndyCar, the driving force put his palms collectively and prayed, “Say sure. Say sure. Say sure.”

HMD Motorsports this season partnered with Dale Coyne Racing to offer Malukas’ son, David, a journey on the high stage. Henry Malukas confirmed his son could be again with Coyne subsequent yr and did not rule out an choice on Lundqvist.

“It’s positively potential. We have already talked many occasions about that, and I hope myself to do this,” Henry Malukas stated. “It might be very cool to see him with David. I believe that will be an amazing workforce, and that will assist one another push one another identical to we did final yr in Indy Lights. So it’s totally attainable.”

Coyne fields two automobiles, for David Malukas and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato, however Sato doesn’t have a deal in place for 2023. Henry Malukas stated he wasn’t positive what the Coyne lineup will appear like subsequent yr.

“I do not learn about Sato, what his plan is for the long run. Like zero. However Dale might run three automobiles,” Henry Malukas stated. “Clearly, relying on Honda. I do know Honda are on the lookout for an excellent driver, [and Linus] is sitting right here. I positively assist that, and hopefully we will pull it off.”