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Saying in January that he wished he “could really elaborate a lot, as I do on all other questions,” NTT IndyCar dominator Alex Palou said, “I promise that one day I will, and I will explain all my thought process before, during, and after” his legal tug-o-war involving his current Chip Ganassi Racing organization and Zak Brown/Formula 1’s McLaren Racing.
Palou has delivered.
In a prepared statement he released this week through social media, Palou confronted his responsibility in the situation following an earlier $12 million-plus court judgment in London against him and Ganassi Racing.
At the heart of the matter was the fact Palou backed out of his signed contract with McLaren in 2023. McLaren had named Palou its reserve driver behind Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri but had reached an agreement to join the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team for the 2024 campaign. After earning the second of what would be four IndyCar Series championships with Ganassi, Palou informed Brown in August 2023 that he had no intention of honoring that contract.
Palou, from Barcelona, admitted he breached the contract, testifying that he didn’t want to linger in Europe, uncertain of moving up to Formula 1. Brown and McLaren/Arrow McLaren sought compensation for the money it had invested in Palou and its losses in sponsorship dollars predicated on Palou being the driver. Brown won, and IndyCar team owner Ganassi said he would pay the settlement for Palou.
Today, Palou, at 28 and more mature and discerning, expressed his regret for his part in the costly calamity.
Here’s the statement he posted on X:
— Alex Palou Montalbo (@AlexPalou) February 27, 2026
“Over the past few months, I’ve had time to reflect on what has been an incredibly challenging period, and I want to address it directly.
“First, I want to acknowledge both Zak Brown and Chip Ganassi. Both were put in a difficult position, and I regret being in the middle of that. Also, in January, a U.K. judge ruled in McLaren Racing’s favour regarding my IndyCar contractual breach. I respect that decision.
“I also recognise that the way events unfolded in the summer of 2023 could have been handled differently. While little of this is publicly known, I found myself pulled in various directions and had the wrong people around me back then who I believe did not have my best interests at heart. I believe back then that I was provided with the wrong advice or no advice at all.
“In hindsight, had I reached out to Zak directly, perhaps things may have played out differently. McLaren and Zak supported me in many ways. They fulfilled every obligation, went above and beyond and delivered on everything they said in their contracts. I was never misled by McLaren, and I very much respect their organisation.
“I also want to thank Chip, my team-mates, and everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing for their dedication and support throughout this process. I’ve learned a great deal from this experience. I’m delighted this matter has now settled, and I wish to thank all of those involved in reaching an amicable conclusion. My focus now is fully on moving ahead where two great organisations that I respect deeply will compete solely on the racetrack."
Palou, last Sunday’s winner at St. Petersburg in the first race of IndyCar’s 2026 season, will seek a second straight victory this Saturday in the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway.