McLaren is sweet and not only wins on the track, where Lando Norris recently returned the title of Formula 1 world champion to the Woking team, but also wins in court. As reported by the British team this Friday, a United Kingdom judge has set compensation of 12 million dollars, just over ten million euros, which must be paid to the structure of the papaya racing cars, with whom the Spaniard had been in litigation for two years. In 2023, Palou broke the contract that linked him to Arrow McLaren, the division of the team that competed in the American Indy championship to re-enroll with Chip Ganassi, with (2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025). The court has considered that swerve It commercially harmed the team, which was unable to conclude various agreements that were directly linked to the figure of the Catalan. These ten million in total correspond to different items, although the largest amount is the 5 and a half million derived from sponsorship contracts.
The case dates back to 2022, at which point Chip Ganassi decided to leave, attracted by the trumpet airs projected by McLaren’s F1 division, which also incorporated him as a tester. However, the team’s leadership then chose to recruit Oscar Piastri, a move that Palou interpreted as an insurmountable barrier to his aspirations.
McLaren’s claim amounted to practically double the amount it will receive, but Zak Brown, the company’s CEO, stuck out his chest for the resolution, which, according to him, does justice. “It is a totally fair result for McLaren. As the ruling makes clear, we demonstrate unequivocally that we comply with all contractual obligations with Alex and everything agreed with him,” highlights the North American executive. “We thank the court for recognizing the significant commercial impact and harm resulting from Alex’s breach of contract,” Brown added.
“The court’s decision shows that the claims against me were completely exaggerated,” Palou considered, for his part. “It is disappointing that so much time and money has been invested in fighting these lawsuits, some of which were dismissed. I regret that compensation has been awarded to McLaren. They have not suffered any loss thanks to what they have gained with the driver who replaced me (Piastri),” adds the current Indy champion.
