Palou's statement cleared McLaren’s name after mudslinging - Brown

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says a recent statement from Alex Palou relating to his breach of contract cleared his team’s name after accusations during the court case.

McLaren sought millions of dollars in damages from Palou after the four-time IndyCar champion reneged on a contract to race for Brown’s team in the series, the Spaniard claiming he had been misled on potential Formula 1 opportunities. After a lengthy case, McLaren was awarded over $12 million by the High Court judge in London, but also reached a further settlement with Chip Ganassi Racing last month, prompting Palou to issue a statement that retracted his claims.

“In hindsight, had I reached out to Zak directly, perhaps things may have played out differently,” Palou said. “McLaren and Zak supported me in many ways, they fulfilled every obligation, went above and beyond and delivered on everything they said in their contracts. I was never misled by McLaren and I very much respect their organization.”

While Brown does not look back fondly on the legal case, he says the final outcome and statement from Palou was important to highlight how McLaren had acted.

“That was a long and painful process, but it was all about making sure the truth came out, and I think the statement that he put out accurately reflects what we knew,” Brown said. “So I'm glad it's behind us, but I'm also glad that everyone at the end now knows how it all played out.

“It's unfortunate. I wouldn't want to go through that again. I'm sure he wouldn't want to go through that again, but I'm kind of happy our name has been cleared because there was a lot of mudslinging there early on. And now I think it's pretty evident, we did everything that we said we would and then some, so I'm pleased with that.”

Chip Ganassi Racing provided Palou with an indemnity through the court case, and the 28-year-old remains with Ganassi in IndyCar in 2026. He currently sits fifth in the drivers’ standings with one win and one retirement from the opening two rounds, as he goes in search of a fourth consecutive championship.