You couldn’t make this up, because if you did you’d simply get laughed at. Just over 12 months after his contractual future between Chip Ganassi Racing and McLaren blew up, a second explosion has been detonated by the likely two-time IndyCar champion.
After final practice at Indianapolis on Friday evening, a letter from McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown to his employees was leaked. The contents were jaw-dropping, as it revealed Palou had “no intention of honouring his contract” and that this had come in spite of him already receiving an advance on his salary for 2024.
It read: “This is incredibly disappointing, considering the commitment he has made to us both directly and publicly and our significant investment in him based on that commitment.”
Brown also pointed out the “time, money and resources preparing to welcome Alex into our team because we believed in him and were looking forward to IndyCar wins with him”.
This was underlined by Palou’s (now former) management company – with released its own statement: “Monaco Increase Management is bitterly disappointed to learn about Alex Palou’s decision to break an existing agreement with McLaren for 2024 and beyond. Together, we had built a relationship that we thought went beyond any contractual obligation and culminated in winning the 2021 Indycar crown and tracing a path to F1 opportunities.”
Apparently, it had been working with Palou right up until Wednesday of last week – even planning his championship celebration at Laguna Seca! – when he dropped the bombshell.
Then Chip Ganassi struck back with a statement of his own: “Anyone that knows me knows that I don't make a habit of commenting about contract situations. Subsequently, I have been quiet since day one of this story but now I feel I must respond. I grew up respecting the McLaren team and their success. The new management does not get my same respect.
Source: Autosport