Overview

• McLaren Racing and McLaren Indy LLC are suing Alex Palou and two related companies for roughly $20–21 million over his decision not to join the team for 2024–2026 after signing in 2022.
• Testifying in London, Zak Brown denied promising Palou a Formula One seat, saying he managed expectations and viewed Palou as Plan B for injury cover and a potential 2024 option only if Oscar Piastri underperformed.
• Brown detailed claimed losses including more than $7.2 million tied to a renegotiated NTT Data Americas deal, over $6.8 million in other sponsorships, about $1.3 million in extra driver salaries, and the return of a $400,000 sign-on bonus.
• Palou’s legal team argues the damages are vastly inflated and says the NTT agreement was not conditional on Palou driving for McLaren, with Palou admitting breach but disputing any liability to pay damages.
• Courtroom exchanges turned tense as Palou’s counsel challenged Brown over credibility and deleted messages; Brown faces further questioning on Wednesday, with Palou due to give evidence later this week.