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November 14, 2025
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has rejected Alex Palou‘s claims that he was not involved in signing Oscar Piastri to the Formula 1 team amid ongoing $20m lawsuit.
The dispute centers on Palou’s controversial decision to back out of a signed contract with McLaren’s IndyCar team and remain with Chip Ganassi Racing, sparking a court case that has drawn significant attention within the motorsport community.
In court filings and statements, the four-time IndyCar champion contended that Zak Brown had minimal influence over McLaren’s decision to sign Oscar Piastri for the 2023 F1 season.
Palou argued that Brown had indicated it was “not his decision” to finalize Piastri’s recruitment, suggesting instead that then-team principal Andreas Seidl was the driving force behind the deal.
According to the Spanish driver, this undermined the promise of a full-time McLaren F1 seat that allegedly convinced him to sign the original 2022 contract with the team.
These claims have served to form a critical element of Palou’s defense as McLaren lawsuit pursues damages for what it describes as breach of contract and lost future revenue opportunities.
Zak Brown has now publicly dismissed Alex Palou’s claims, labeling them as unfounded and absurd.
In his response, Brown emphasized that it was outright “ludicrous” to suggest he did not support or was not behind the decision to bring Oscar Piastri into the team Papaya fold as a replacement for Daniel Ricciardo.
“I’m not sure which allegation amused me more – the notion that I would not be the one making a key decision about our driver line-up, or the suggestion that I wasn’t on board with signing the hugely talented Oscar Piastri,” Brown told Reuters.
“Both allegations are clearly ludicrous, and anyone who follows our sport will see straight through them.
“We have the absolute best driver pairing on the F1 grid in Oscar and Lando. I could not be more thrilled with their incredible performance and their sportsmanship.
“I’m excited for the awesome racing we’re going to see for the rest of the season.”
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The CEO had previously elaborated on the context surrounding Palou’s involvement with the team, explaining that Palou was initially brought on board with the expectation of joining McLaren’s IndyCar team starting in the 2024 season, coupled with a reserve driver role in 2023 F1.
However, the driver reversed course midway through opting to extend his tenure with Chip Ganassi Racing through to 2026 despite his contractual commitment to McLaren.
This unexpected U-turn, according to Brown and his legal team, caused substantial financial damage—estimated at over $20 million in lost profits.
“NTT entered into negotiations in the first place because they knew Alex was coming to McLaren, and the amount they were willing to pay was based on Alex driving for us,” Brown told London court in latest proceedings over the McLaren lawsuit.
“Had there been a less experienced driver, or a driver that was not as good, the price we agreed with NTT would not have been as high as it eventually was, or they may have decided not to partner with us at all.
“We should have been focusing on track performance and finding new sponsors, but you cannot focus on that when you do not know who will be in your car.
“Alex effectively rolled a grenade into the room and let it go off, leaving me to deal with the consequences with our sponsors.”
As Formula 1 heads to Austin this weekend, Oscar Piastri holds a 22-point lead over teammate Lando Norris with McLaren having clinched the 2025 F1 constructors’ championship last time out in Singapore.
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