Overview

• Testifying in London, Alex Palou said Oscar Piastri’s 2022 signing convinced him his F1 prospects at McLaren had ended, claiming Zak Brown told him the decision was made by then team boss Andreas Seidl and that Piastri’s performance would be measured against his own.
• Zak Brown denied ever promising Palou a Formula 1 seat, asserting he only outlined potential opportunities and arguing Palou’s reversal put McLaren’s IndyCar program into crisis and strained sponsor relationships as the team seeks roughly $20–21 million in damages.
• Court exhibits included WhatsApp screenshots cited by Palou’s side suggesting disappearing messages and deletion instructions; McLaren disputes any wrongdoing and says its practices complied with document preservation.
• Palou said Red Bull’s Helmut Marko explored an AlphaTauri drive in 2023 but dropped interest after speaking with Brown, while Palou rejected suggestions he misled McLaren about his intentions.
• Palou admits breaching the contract but contests liability for the claimed sums, with the trial set to resume on October 20 and closing submissions scheduled for November 5 before a written judgment.