Did Zak Brown not want Oscar Piastri at McLaren? The McLaren boss describes Alex Palou’s recent insinuations to this effect as “ridiculous.”
McLaren boss Zak Brown has rejected IndyCar champion Alex Palou’s claim that he had no influence on the signing of Oscar Piastri for the 2023 Formula 1 season.
During the current proceedings before the High Court in the UK, Palou stated that Brown had told him that the then McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl had signed the 2021 Formula 2 champion on his own authority to replace Daniel Ricciardo.
This statement was interpreted by some as meaning that Brown had doubts about signing the former Alpine reserve driver—especially in light of discussions about whether Piastri was being treated equally with teammate Lando Norris in the current world championship title fight at McLaren.
“I was having dinner with Zak at Beaverbrook near the McLaren Technology Centre,” Palou said in court last week, explaining: “Zak told me it wasn’t his decision to sign Oscar. It was a decision made by the then team boss Andreas Seidl.”
“Zak told me that Piastri’s performance would be compared to mine with a view to 2024. From his point of view, this would not affect my chances of getting a Formula 1 cockpit,” said Palou. Brown has now responded to Palou’s statements, describing his insinuations as “ridiculous.”
“I don’t know which claim amused me more. The idea that I didn’t play a key role in our driver selection, or the idea that I didn’t support the signing of the incredibly talented Oscar Piastri,” Brown told Reuters.
“Both claims are clearly ridiculous, and anyone who follows our sport will recognize that immediately,” said Brown, who also explained that Piastri “laughed” at Palou’s statements when the two met after the Singapore Grand Prix.
“We have the best driver duo in Formula 1 with Oscar and Lando,” Brown continued. “I couldn’t be happier with their performance and sportsmanship. I’m looking forward to the great races we’ll see as the season progresses.”
McLaren is currently suing Palou for around $20 million after he broke his IndyCar contract with the team to stay with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2024.
Palou has admitted to breaching his contract and said he lost confidence in McLaren’s ability to get him a Formula 1 cockpit. However, he disputes the amount the Woking-based team is demanding from him. The 28-year-old also claimed that Brown had offered to help him find a Formula 1 cockpit, but the American vehemently denies this.
