Brown denies ’stringing along’ Alex Palou in court

Zak Brown has denied claims he misled dominant Indycar champion Alex Palou with suggestions of a future Formula 1 seat in order to secure his signature for McLaren’s American program.

Fresh from celebrating the back-to-back constructors’ crown in Singapore, Brown appeared this week at London’s High Court as part of McLaren’s $20 million damages case against Palou, who walked away from an agreed deal to stay with rival outfit Chip Ganassi Racing.

Under cross-examination, Brown insisted he "never strung along" the Spanish driver, saying his assumption was that Palou "believed McLaren Indycar would be a top team."

The Financial Times reports that McLaren accuses Palou of a "deliberate breach of contract" which caused "deep consternation among McLaren’s sponsors." Palou, however, has already admitted the breach and is disputing the amount of damages, calling McLaren’s claim "vastly inflated."

Palou’s lawyer Nick De Marco KC told the court that his client was originally drawn to McLaren by "the prospect of racing in F1," but said that when it became clear the opportunity was limited to Indycar, "he ultimately preferred to remain with Ganassi."

CEO Brown, who earned about $50 million last year, has overseen McLaren’s recent F1 resurgence, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris also leading the 2025 drivers’ championship.

The London case continues.