IndyCar Points Leader Alex Palou Will Not Race for McLaren in 2024

Yet, another stunning development involved NTT IndyCar Series points leader Alex Palou.

The talented driver from Spain informed McLaren CEO Zak Brown that he has “no intention of honoring his contract” in 2024.

Palou, the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series champion who was taken to arbitration last year by current team owner Chip Ganassi last year after Palou announced he had a deal to join McLaren in 2023, sent a letter to Brown. The McLaren CEO sent the letter to team members at the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team and a copy of that letter was obtained by The Associated Press.

Brown contends Palou had reassured him numerous times he would be racing for that team next season and according to the report, had drawn an advance on his salary.

“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 wrote in the letter sent to Arrow McLaren.

According to the report, the letter was sent to McLaren employees after Friday’s final practice session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Palou enters Saturday’s Gallagher Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with an 84-point lead over Josef Newgarden with four races remaining.

It was just one year ago in July when Palou announced he was leaving Chip Ganassi Racing to join McLaren in 2023. Later that same day, Chip Ganassi Racing issued a statement that said Palou was under contract with the team in 2023 and that Ganassi was invoking the option clause of the contract.

Ganassi took the driver to a mediator, who ruled in favor of the team.

Palou returned to Chip Ganassi Racing and has been the dominant driver in this year’s NTT IndyCar Series championship. He has a points lead equal to 1.5 races with only four races remaining and could clinch the championship well before the final race of the season at Monterey, California.

Brown’s letter to his team did not indicate what Palou plans to do in 2024, when he is already contractually bound to McLaren.

“We don’t comment on driver contracts. You know that,” Ganassi then told AP. “We as a team work on wins and championships.”

In the letter to Arrow McLaren, Brown said, “We dedicated a lot of 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,” Brown wrote. “Coming out of his team dispute last fall, we were assured by Alex of his commitment to Arrow McLaren reflected in the contract he entered into with us.

“Unfortunately, it now appears our belief, commitment, investment, and trust in Alex was misplaced as it is not being reciprocated.

“We have made clear to Alex that we expect him to honor and perform under his contract with us. However, the leadership team and I are focused on addressing our 2024 driver lineup in order to be prepared if Alex does not do so.”