The Piastri agreement prompted Palou's departure from McLaren.

      "From that moment forward, I realized everything had shifted."

      According to testimony reported by Sky Deutschland, Oscar Piastri's entry to McLaren was the pivotal factor that concluded Alex Palou's association with the team. This week in London's High Court, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown testified in the ongoing $20.7 million damages case against the four-time IndyCar champion. Palou is accused of violating his contract to drive for McLaren’s IndyCar program after opting to remain with Chip Ganassi Racing.

      "The only appealing choice was the route to Formula 1," Palou stated in his witness statement. "My goal was to enter the premier single-seater series in the world," he added. He indicated that he felt "very upset, worried, and angry" upon McLaren's announcement of Piastri as their new rookie in late 2022, as it meant they signed another newcomer.

      Palou claimed in court that Brown reassured him that his Formula 1 aspirations were still on the table and that Piastri's performance "would be compared to" his own. He also stated that Brown mentioned that the decision to hire Piastri "was not his own but rather Andreas Seidl’s." "From that moment on, I realized everything had shifted," Palou explained, outlining his decision to stay with Ganassi.

      The report also mentioned that Brown was later faced with WhatsApp screenshots suggesting that McLaren staff had erased internal messages to "protect themselves from lawsuits," which he vehemently denied. The High Court proceedings continue in London.