McLaren court case over driver contract begins

Four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou attended court on Monday as a
civil trial involving McLaren got underway. Palou joined the
IndyCar championship in 2020 with Dale Coyne Racing and won his
first title in the series the following year after switching to
Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR). Midway through the 2022 campaign, Palou
refuted a press release that claimed he would race for CGR in 2023,
stating he had agreed a deal to join McLaren, who quickly confirmed
their deal with the Spaniard. The matter was resolved later that
year through a settlement, and Palou remained at CGR, a seat that
has since brought him four IndyCar titles in total – including his
latest success in 2025. However, a civil trial in London is now
underway to finalise the finances of the broken agreement between
Palou and McLaren, with the latter reportedly seeking around $20
million from the 28-year-old. Speaking to Fox Sports earlier this
month, Palou highlighted his desire to put the situation behind
him. “It’s about time, right?” Palou said. “It's good that it's
going to end this year.  “And I obviously don't know how everything
is going to play out or how it's going to go. “It’s my first time
[in court], so you don't really know what to expect. But I'm happy
that it'll be the first Christmas in a long time that it's been
[without this drama].” Palou has never raced for McLaren, but made
his FP1 debut in F1 with the Woking-based squad at the 2022 US
Grand Prix, as well as taking part in several private tests.