Source: PHOTO: Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment
WOKING, Surrey, England. — McLaren Racing has filed a lawsuit in British court against reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou.
The racing team is looking to recoup money spent on Palou during his brief time with the team after they say he reneged on a contract they say he signed.
Palou, 26, is currently a driver in the NTT IndyCar Series with Chip Ganassi Racing.
You may remember last year when a nasty legal battle boiled over midway through the IndyCar season when Palou said he signed a contract to race for Arrow McLaren SP for the 2023 season. Ganassi challenged that saying that Palou was under contract with them for 2023.
The deal McLaren says Palou signed also included a reserve driver role for McLaren’s F1 team.
Through mediation, Palou agreed to stay with Ganassi for the 2023 IndyCar season while also serving in a developmental role with McLaren as long as it did not interfere with his work at Ganassi.
That role included taking part in an F1 practice session, simulator work, and serving as the reserve driver for the F1 Miami Grand Prix earlier this year.
In August, Palou informed McLaren that he did not intend to honor a contract with the team. Around that time Palou also parted ways with the Monaco-based agency that represents him.
Chip Ganassi, owner of Chip Ganassi Racing, then confirmed that Palou was inked for the 2024 season with CGR in the NTT IndyCar Series.
As part of the lawsuit, McLaren is seeking damages and is also looking to recoup lost revenue to the tune of $15 million. That revenue, according to the lawsuit, amounts to lost future sponsorship and other partnership agreements. They also want to take back money spent on developing Palou which includes track time and simulator work, etc.
In all, the team is looking to take back $23 million from Palou.
