McLaren boss Zak Brown ‘never wanted’ Oscar Piastri, claims Alex Palou in court

IndyCar champion Alex Palou has made explosive allegations against McLaren Racing in an ongoing legal dispute, claiming CEO Zak Brown never wanted to sign Australian Formula 1 driver Oscar Piastri.

The revelations emerged from a witness statement submitted to the UK High Court, where McLaren is suing Palou for breach of contract after he withdrew from a deal to race in the team’s IndyCar program. The company is seeking damages of up to $30 million, arguing his departure caused major sponsorship losses.

According to statements presented in court, Palou said he had been assured by McLaren executives that he would eventually receive an opportunity to race in Formula 1. He claims this understanding changed after McLaren signed Piastri to replace Daniel Ricciardo for the 2023 F1 season.

Palou alleges Brown told him that the decision to hire Piastri was made by then-team principal Andreas Seidl, and that the Australian’s arrival would not affect Palou’s long-term prospects within McLaren. “Zak told me it was not his decision to hire Oscar,” Palou said in his statement, adding that his performance would be compared to Piastri’s for possible F1 consideration.

The Spanish driver said he was “upset and angry” after learning of Piastri’s signing, believing his Formula 1 hopes had been derailed. Although he served as McLaren’s reserve F1 driver in 2023, Palou ultimately chose to remain with Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) in IndyCar, where he went on to secure three consecutive championships from 2023 to 2025.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has strongly denied the accusations. In testimony reported by Reuters and the Financial Times, Brown stated he “never strung along” Palou or promised him a Formula 1 seat, insisting no such guarantee was ever discussed.

Court filings also revealed that Palou explored other racing opportunities, including talks with Red Bull’s then-junior team AlphaTauri in mid-2023. However, those discussions reportedly ended when Red Bull learned of the contractual complications surrounding Palou’s McLaren agreement.

The dispute has intensified scrutiny around McLaren’s internal driver dynamics, particularly amid speculation that the team favors Lando Norris over Piastri. The tension was highlighted at the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, where Norris forced Piastri wide at Turn 1, and the team opted not to investigate the incident.

Adding to the intrigue, Swiss outlet Blick recently reported that Piastri has been linked to a potential move to Ferrari ahead of the 2027 Formula 1 season.

Despite the off-track controversy, the 24-year-old Australian continues to deliver on track — currently leading the Formula 1 World Championship by 22 points ahead of the United States Grand Prix on October 20.