Zach Brown has notified the Arrow McLaren Racing team that IndyCar series leader Alex Palou has breached the terms of the 2024 contract.
Palou’s contract controversy has been dragging on since last year, when a dispute over the fast Spanish driver arose between Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren, and Alex ultimately stayed with Chip Ganassi’s team this season.
But yesterday Zach Brown sent a letter to his IndyCar team saying that despite repeated assurances from Palou, who even got an advance, the Spaniard will not drive for Arrow McLaren next year.
“This is deeply troubling, given the assurances he has given us directly and publicly announced, as well as the significant financial investment we have made based on these assurances,” the Associated Press quoted Brown’s letter as saying.
Monaco Enhance Management (MIM), which negotiated a 2024 contract with McLaren on behalf of Palou last year, also expressed its dismay at the driver’s change of position.
“Monaco Enhance Management expresses its bitter disappointment to learn of Alex Palou’s decision to breach existing agreements with McLaren for 2024 and beyond,” the company said in a statement released today. “Together we built a relationship that we believed went beyond contractual obligations, culminating in winning the IndyCar Championship in 2021, followed by opportunities to pave the way to Formula 1.
But life goes on and we wish Alex all the best and new achievements.”
At the same time, the F1 paddock knew that MIM representatives were negotiating with several World Cup teams this summer, as the agreements with McLaren included the possibility of ending them if Palou could agree a contract with another team before July 1. But last Thursday in Indianapolis, Alex told the press that he had no chance of getting into Formula 1.
At the same time, Zach Brown said last month that in September, once the season in IndyCar ends, Palou will join McLaren and continue to serve as reserve driver. But it seems Palou refused to fulfill his obligations to McLaren Racing when he lost MIM’s support.
Last year, the Spanish driver worked on tests behind the wheel of the MCL35M, McLaren’s 2021 model car, and also held a Friday practice session in Austin.
So far not everything is clear in this story, so there is a good chance that a sequel will follow soon.
Source: F1 News

I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.