IndyCar boss explains Alex Palou's plan amid F1 links and McLaren court battle

05 September 2023 , 18:24

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Alex Palou is now a double IndyCar champion, but his path to F1 has been complicated (Image: AP)

Chip Ganassi declared Alex Palou will "for sure" race for his IndyCar team next year, seemingly ending speculation over a 2024 Formula 1 switch.

The Spaniard is one of the stand-out stars in the American single-seater racing series. Already an IndyCar champion, Palou secured his second title in three years by winning in Portland on Sunday.

Already an F1 test and reserve driver for McLaren, Palou was reportedly being courted by AlphaTauri and Williams over a 2024 seat – though Mirror Sport understands the latter is not in negotiations with the 26-year-old.

But last month he abruptly cut ties with McLaren, informing chief executive Zak Brown that he does not intend to honour his contracts with the racing outfit. That includes the deal that he had already signed to race for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar next year.

Instead Ganassi, who owns the team for whom Palou currently races, insists he will be keeping hold of his star man. "Alex Palou is going to be in our car, I can tell you that for sure," said the 65-year-old.

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"He's part of our team. We couldn't be more happy about that. He likes to win, he likes to be at the front. We noticed that with his first race win at Barber three years ago. We knew the guy was special."

Meanwhile, Palou is currently in the midst of a legal battle with McLaren over his future. The team has filed a legal challenge against his plan to back out of the contracts he has with the team, with Brown telling reporters at the Dutch Grand Prix, including Mirror Sport, of his "disappointment" with how the situation has been handled.

He also doubts Palou's chances of ever getting an F1 seat, adding: "Things move fast in Formula 1 – drivers can break their wrist in an instant. I think, if you want to do Formula 1, you need to hang around the hoop and see what opportunities arise... I don't know what's in [Palou's] mind, but hanging around the hoop and being in a Formula 1 environment, to me, seems to give you the best opportunity to become a Formula 1 driver."

Palou insists, though, that he will be happy even if such a chance does not arise. He said: "I said it many times that [Formula 1] was not my full focus. Then, when an opportunity came, I had to go for it, I felt. At the same time I know I'm not 21 or 19. I'm already 26, which is good. I'm not saying I’m old but, it's not that I'm super young. Next year, I'll be 27.

"If an opportunity comes in the future, which is a really, really small chance, I'll think about it for sure, 100 per cent. But I'm happy, honestly. As long as I keep on winning championships and races, or battling for championships, I think I'll have a great career."

Daniel Moxon