McLaren boss Zak Brown believes that the team’s reputation for getting embroiled in driver turmoil and contractual sagas is “unfair” and blames recent events on Alex Palou’s shocking 2023 U-turn.
In August last year, Palou decided not to honor the contract he’d signed with Arrow McLaren for the 2024 season, opting instead to remain with Chip Ganassi Racing.
This was somewhat ironic as his ‘split’ with Ganassi, to sign for McLaren, led to his own team boss attempting to sue him during 2022, which led to a mediation settlement. From that, Palou was allowed to test McLaren’s F1 cars and drive in free practice at COTA’s United States Grand Prix.
But his second U-turn, when he decided to stay put at CGR, sparked a chain of events that Brown says has earned them a reputation for contractual sagas. It has led to arrivals or exits (and in some cases, both) for Felix Rosenqvist, David Malukas, Nolan Siegel, Callum Ilott, Theo Pourchaire and Alexander Rossi.
“It’s been disappointing and I understand it, it’s part of being high-profile as a team,” Brown told Motorsport.com. “I think we’ve got an unfair branding around this driver situation, and then you have some of the drivers that chime in.
“I know everyone likes to take a poke; I certainly like to take a poke. So, if you’re going to poke, you’ve got to be able to take it back.
“But we brought Pato (O’Ward) into this sport, I’ve stuck with him. Alex Palou, we had a contract, we did our part. That created this domino effect.
“Alex (Rossi) saw through his contract. We’re giving Nolan a chance, a young American. We brought back Theo for (Toronto, to replace the injured Rossi).
“And so, unfortunately, this Palou situation has kind of unfairly branded us as being difficult and ‘we’re tough on drivers’ when, actually, I think our relationship with our drivers is one of our greatest strengths.”
Alex Palou, Reserve Driver, McLaren
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
When Motorsport.com asked Brown for an update of the UK High Court proceedings surrounding its damages claim against Palou, Brown replied: “It’s in legal process and it’s going to go the distance, 100%, and I think it’ll end up probably be sometime late next year.”
Brown also pointed to McLaren’s contracts in Formula 1, and says he remains on good terms with all his recent drivers who’ve exited the team to make way for the current successful partnership of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
“Even in Formula 1, with Carlos Sainz, we had an unbelievable relationship,” said Brown. “Fernando Alonso, a great relationship, and with Daniel Ricciardo too.
“Our relationship with Lando, he’s been with us for six years. So, I actually quite pride myself and McLaren for the relationships that we have with drivers that drive for us currently and have driven for us in the past.”