The current IndyCar champion is going to be the protagonist of a contractual soap opera as a result of the agreement reached with McLaren Racing for 2023. Meanwhile, his current team, Chip Ganassi, claims to have executed the renewal clause of the Spaniard’s contract.
With the surprising movement executed by Alex Palou and McLaren Racing in the last hours, the future of the Spanish driver becomes confused. And it is that minutes before the announcement of the agreement of the current IndyCar champion with the British formation, his current team, Chip Ganassi Racing, had announced the extension of his contract for 2023.
It did not take long for the Spanish pilot to reject said agreement on his official Twitter account, even going so far as to deny having made the statements that accompanied the official statement. And then, McLaren made a movepublishing the statement confirming the agreement with Palou for 2023.
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Formula 1 on the horizon
There is no doubt that the coming weeks will be difficult for Álex Palou, who while he continues to dispute the IndyCar title with Chip Ganassi He will have to resolve this legal dispute in which he could have signed an agreement with two different teams for 2023.
But regardless of that, Álex Palou opens a door to Formula 1 through his agreement with McLaren Racing, which includes a test program with the 2021 McLaren MCL35Min the image and likeness of the one Pato O’Ward (McLaren’s regular driver in IndyCar) and Colton Herta (Andretti Autosport driver in the same category) already have.
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All of them have the ambition to compete in Formula 1 and McLaren is, without a doubt, the team that is most open to offering them a path to the premier class. Although Lando Norris is the clear bet of the British firm for F1, Daniel Ricciardo Very likely he will leave the team at the end of his contract (2023) or even this year, so both Palou, O’Ward and Herta (if Michael Andretti finally does not get a place in Formula 1) will have their options.
For now, Chip Ganassi reaffirms his position of having Palou under contract for 2023 and McLaren Racing has announced the signing of the Spaniard, although unconfirmed in which category he will compete (they have teams in F1, Formula E, IndyCar and Extreme E). Another McLaren driver, Felix Rosenqvist, finds himself in the same situation.
McLaren Racing Official Statement
McLaren Racing has signed champion driver Álex Palou to race for McLaren from 2023
In addition to his competition duties next year, Palou will also test with the McLaren F1 team as part of his test program with the 2021 MCL35M F1, together with his teammates Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta.
Palou, 25, from Barcelona, Spain, he won three races and took eight podium finishes in 2021 on his way to the title in his second year in INDYCAR. Palou became the first Spanish driver to win the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship when he claimed the title last year. His motorsport resume also includes an impressive season in Super Formula in 2019, where he took one win and finished third in the championship.
Palou will join McLaren following the conclusion of their 2022 INDYCAR season. McLaren Racing will confirm its full driver line-ups in all its competitions in due course.
Álex Palou: “I am very excited to join the roster of drivers for such an iconic team as McLaren. I’m excited to show what I can do behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car. and see what doors can be opened. I want to thank Chip Ganassi Racing for everything they have done for me.”
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing: “We have always said that we want the best talent at McLaren and it is exciting to be able to include Álex on that list.. I am also looking forward to seeing him get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car as part of our Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) program alongside Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta, as we continue to develop the talent of our drivers. Alex is an incredibly talented driver, who has won in every competition he has raced in, and I am happy to welcome him to the McLaren family.”