Alex Palou is a double Indycar champion and at just 27 he is currently favourite to claim a third title this season. The Spanish driver is a product of the Formula One junior formulae ladder having competed in GP2 during 2015/16.

His results were less than stellar and Palou managed just P10 and P15 in the championship in those respective seasons. With no drive for 2017, the young spaniard moved to Japanese Formula 3 and entered the Macau Grand Prix before Campos called him back for the final two rounds of the International F2 season.

Returning to Europe the following season Alex was offered a drive in F2 with Hitech scoring 7 podiums along the way ending the season in tenth place. But with no drive on offer Palou was forced to return to Japan in 2019 before the call came from Dale Cone Racing to test their Indycar in Ohio during July that season.

 

 

 

A surprise Indycar call up

The result was an offer of a full time drive in 2020 with the American team, a season which proved to be unremarkable, although much of his final rank of 24th was down to the team and the car.

Despite this front runners Chip Ganassi picked up the young Spanish driver for the following year and he repaid their trust by winning the opening round at Barber Motorsports Park. Palou would take three wins that year, claim two pole positions and his seven podiums in addition meant he was Indycar champ being the most consistent of all the drivers.

Alex started 2022 with podiums at the first three events and he outscored both his team mates. Then in July, Chip Ganassi released a press statement claiming their driver had just extended his contract by means of an clause which gave them unilateral power to do so.

Palou took to twitter claiming he’d given the team notice he was leaving and moments later McLaren confirmed the signing of the reigning champion to their Indycar and as a reserve driver for their F1 programme.

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McLaren sue Alex Palou

In September it was announced an agreement had been reached between all parties with Alex continuing another season with Ganassi while testing for McLaren F1. Alex was then to switch to McLaren in 2024 but this arrangement fell apart last autumn with the Spaniard informing Zak Brown he had “no intention of honoring his contract” with McLaren.

An incensed Brown, who had pulled a similar move on Alpine’s academy driver Oscar Piastri, immediately lodged a law suit for almost $23m in the UK commercial court. It claimed the team was looking to recoup investments made in Palou and the future sponsorship revenue lost attached to him joining the team.

Further, McLaren had advanced Alex $400,000 which they now wanted returning and also claimed the costs for finding a replacement driver for Palou.

Following this, McLaren Racing and Arrow McLaren sued Palou for nearly $23 million in the U.K. Commercial Court in an attempt to recoup investments made in Palou, including future sponsorship revenue tied to Palou joining McLaren, the team’s cost when Palou was the test driver, the cost of finding a replacement for Palou, and Palou’s $400,000 advanced 2024 salary.^[33][34][35] In his legal response, Palou admitted to breaching his contract with McLaren as he lost faith in McLaren’s ability to land him a seat in Formula One, saying that he is too old to wait and see if someone gets hurt to get his chance.

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Palou believes F1 door shut

In his legal response, Palou admitted to breaching his contract with McLaren as he lost faith in McLaren’s ability to land him a seat in Formula One, saying that he is too old to wait and see if someone gets hurt to get his chance.

Alex response to the controversy was to go and win his second title in 2023 and he is on course for a third this season.

Earlier this week, reports appeared in reputable German media outlet, Auto Motor und Sport, that Alex Palou had been listed by Audi as a potential option to partner Nico Hulkenberg in the future. Having suffered the ignominy of Carlos Sainz rejecting their works ten offer in favour of minnow Williams, the newly appointed Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley are keen to lock down the driver line up going forward as soon as possible.

Palou had spoken previously about his F1 ambitions and appeared resigned to the fact that door was now firmly closed. “Obviously we all would have liked to have been in Formula One and seen what we could have done, but we all know I wouldn’t have won two championships. I obviously tried [to join the McLaren organisation]. It didn’t work out… that’s fine.”

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Audi story is “fake news” says Palou

Further the double Indycar champion made it clear he had no interest in joining F1 to drive with an ‘also ran’ team adding, “some people think that, for example, [Alex] Albon has had a better racing career than me. But I’d rather have two IndyCar titles than no wins in Formula One.”

At present Auber are m most definitely an ‘also ran’ kind of team with no points this season and little prospect of improving before the end of the year.

Today at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 race in Ohio, Palou has addressed the reports from Germany and Blick in Switzerland which suggests there have been conversations between him and Audi.

“It’s all fake. I know you cannot take my word, but I promise,” Palou told IndyStar publication. “It’s all fake. I’ve had no contacts with Audi. Zero.”

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Get out clause for double Indycar champion

While insisting his intention was to remain with Chip Ganassi, the IndyStar outlet revealed there was a get out clause in his contract with the team if he is offered $1.5m by another racing outfit.

Yet Palou was insistent not even his manager Roger Yasukawa has had any contact with Audi. “Zero, zero,” he insisted. “I know you cannot take it [as truth], but I have not.

“I’m not going to say much, but I’m not trying to go [to F1]. I tried. I got a small taste, and it was fun, and I learned, but it didn’t happen, so I’m good.

“I’m not desperately seeing the news there and sending an email [to Audi] like, ‘Hey, I know we’re not in contact, but can we talk?’ I’m good, I’m good.”

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FIA junior formula ‘a lottery’

Alex Palou proves at times the FIA junior formula ladder remains something of a lottery and as many F1 pundits have recognised would not have seen Oliver Bearman promoted to F1 on his F2 results alone.

Of course Palou would be interested in a top F1 drive if it came available if only for the reason there are vast differences in the sum paid to Indycar drivers and to those in F1. Should the Spaniard claim a third and four titles he will surely look across the pond once more and approaching thirty years of age he’d be one of the oldest rookies since Damon Hill who went on to become champion with Williams in 1996.

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Red Bull ‘secret’ braking trick deemed illegal by the FIA

The 2024 Formula One season began as the last one ended. Red Bull and Max Verstappen looked unstoppable as the triple world champion qualified on pole for the season opener in Bahrain and claimed victory from his team mate by 22 seconds.

Next time out in Jeddah was a similar story. Verstappen claimed pole and the victory with Perez ahead of the rest of the field. Then came the third round in Melbourne and Max led off the line from pole position but came under pressure from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz on Lap 2 and was overtaken after the Dutch driver had a wobble through Turn 3 that put him in the clutches of the Spaniard.

Clearly Max was struggling with the balance of the RB20 due to the brakes which became evident towards the end of the lap as smoke began to emerge… READ MORE