Passions are running high at the McLaren v. Palou trial.

      Court proceedings continue in London between Alex Palou, a four-time IndyCar champion, and McLaren — we have reported the reasons for the dispute several times.

      As expected, tensions are rising: Palou accused Zak Brown of having at the time persuaded him to sign a contract with McLaren Racing, even though it was illegal.

      In 2023 agreements were reached between Palou and McLaren obliging the Spanish driver to cooperate with the British team in 2024–2026. At that time Alex already had a contract signed with Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR), and it was assumed Palou would combine competing in IndyCar with preparing for Formula 1.

      However, Palou claims the agreements with McLaren were illegal because they were based on lies. He insists he did not receive the opportunities that had been promised to him, including that he was supposed to have more testing and to take part in official practice sessions on race weekend days in Formula 1.

      “I thought I had the right to terminate agreements based on false and fraudulent assurances,” Palou said in court. Among other things he is referring to this: his contract with CGR contained a clause that the American team had a priority right to his services.

      Palou insists that both the lawyers who then represented his interests and Mr. Brown knew about this, yet allowed him to sign the contract with McLaren: “I found out that my lawyers knew about this clause, but Mr. Brown paid them. He knew that I could not sign that contract.

      At that moment I had to decide: either I was going to fall out with CGR, the team thanks to which I had the opportunity to become an IndyCar champion, or cut ties with the person who had misled me, because at McLaren I would not have had those opportunities.”

      It appears Palou is trying to move from a defensive tactic against accusations by Zak Brown to accusing the chief executive of McLaren Racing, and the British courts will have to sort out all the nuances of this complex case.

      In addition, Palou said that in any case he cannot pay the $20.8 million McLaren is seeking: “I will not be able to afford such payments. I am not among the highest-paid IndyCar drivers and I know I will not become such a driver in the future because of the compensations I may have to pay…”

      However, as the Spanish press stresses, Chip Ganassi Racing has promised to cover legal costs and financial compensation.