Zak Brown “Never Wanted” to Sign Piastri in Explosive McLaren Court Battle

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

The revelations come 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 for the team’s IndyCar program. McLaren is seeking up to $30 million in damages, alleging that his decision caused significant sponsorship and commercial losses.

According to Palou’s testimony, McLaren executives assured him that he would eventually receive an opportunity to race in Formula 1. However, he claims that understanding changed once McLaren signed Piastri to replace Daniel Ricciardo for the 2023 F1 season.

Palou alleges that Brown told him the decision to hire Piastri was made by then-team principal Andreas Seidl, and that the Australian’s arrival would not affect his long-term prospects within the organization.

“Zak told me it was not his decision to hire Oscar,” Palou stated in his witness submission. “He said my performance would be compared to Oscar’s for possible F1 consideration.”

The Spaniard said he was “upset and angry” after learning of Piastri’s signing, believing his Formula 1 ambitions had been derailed. Although Palou served as McLaren’s reserve F1 driver in 2023, he ultimately chose to remain with Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) in IndyCar, a move that has since paid off, with Palou securing three consecutive championships from 2023 to 2025.

Zak Brown Denies Promises of F1 Future

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has categorically denied Palou’s claims. In testimony reported by Reuters and the Financial Times, Brown insisted he “never strung along” the Spaniard or promised him a Formula 1 seat, stating that no such guarantee was ever discussed.

Court filings also revealed that Palou explored other opportunities during his time with McLaren, including preliminary talks with AlphaTauri (now RB) in mid-2023. Those discussions reportedly collapsed once Red Bull learned of the contractual complications surrounding his McLaren deal.

Broader Implications for McLaren

The case has reignited scrutiny over McLaren’s internal driver dynamics, particularly amid speculation that the team continues to favor Lando Norris over Piastri. The tension between the two drivers was evident at the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, where Norris forced Piastri wide at Turn, an incident the team chose not to investigate.

Adding further intrigue, Swiss outlet Blick recently reported that Piastri has been linked to a potential move to Ferrari for the 2027 season, though neither side has commented publicly on the rumor.

Despite the off-track controversy, Piastri remains focused on his title campaign. The 24-year-old currently leads the Formula 1 World Championship by 22 points heading into the United States Grand Prix on October 20.

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