"I am too old to wait": 2023 IndyCar champion Alex Palou on how his F1 dreams shattered amidst contractual woes with McLaren

In the midst of a contract dispute with McLaren and a $23 million breach complaint case, two-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou talked about how his Formula 1 aspirations have crumbled.

Palou shared that he was too old to sit and hope someone gets injured so he would have his chance in F1. In an interview with The Associated Press, Palou said :

“I am too old to wait and see if someone gets hurt and that is how I can get my chance [in F1]. Pato can wait for someone to get hurt.”

Even though he devoted a lot of work and collaborated with McLaren in the hopes of getting an F1 seat, Palou was convinced that he would never make it in F1. According to him, there were no signs of getting into that position, after he did the tests on the simulator. He declared:

“There were no signs that anything was going to open for me in F1.”

The Spanish driver, who earned his second IndyCar title in 2023, has found himself in the middle of a contractual battle between Ganassi and McLaren. He first wanted to transfer over to Arrow McLaren SP — McLaren's IndyCar Series operation — in 2023, but Ganassi’s contract option tied him up into mediation and an agreement was found that would allow the Spaniard to be a reserve driver for the F1 team.

Palou then changed his mind and decided to stay with Ganassi during the 2023 season where he dominated the field in the IndyCar Series. This action led to a McLaren lawsuit that demanded substantial damages.

Palou’s legal answer admitted the breach but tried to engage in the quantification of damages, diverting attention from an unattainable amount he could not pay. Although McLaren named Pato O’Ward as their F1 reserve after Palou opted out, the 26-year-old IndyCar driver remains unfazed about it. He said:

"We’ll try and get many championships if we can, and we’ll try and fight for as many championships and Indy 500s as possible."

Palou's focus self-admittedly remains on the challenges with Ganassi Racing, where, at the last moment, he found a place in the Rolex 24 of Daytona.

---

IndyCar's Alex Palou shines at Daytona Roar Before the Rolex 24

While the sun was setting at Daytona International Speedway, the Roar Before the Rolex 24 saw its fifth and last testing session of Saturday’s on-track action.

While the JDC-Miller Motorsports' Porsche 963 No. 85 retained its position as the overall fastest (1:35.216) throughout the cumulative sessions, it was Alex Palou who stole the show during the night session. Behind the wheel of the Cadillac V-Series.R No. 01 for Cadillac Racing, Palou set the fastest lap of the night at 1:35.705.

The Saturday sessions are now over, and all eyes are now directed toward Sunday’s third and final day. The upcoming qualifications will set the qualifying order for the iconic Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.