Alex Palou refutes Zak Brown’s still McLaren F1 reserve driver claim, says he is not ‘going to any F1 races’

Alex Palou is the reserve driver of the McLaren F1 team until the end of the 2023 F1 season.

Alex Palou refutes Zak Brown’s still McLaren F1 reserve driver claim, says he is not ‘going to any F1 races’

Zak Brown and Alex Palou (Via IMAGO)

Alex Palou and Zak Brown have been at each other’s throats for quite some time, and the latter recently admitted that despite their problems, Palou is still McLaren F1’s reserve driver. However, the Spaniard is not willing to fulfill his duties and has admitted that he will not attend any of the remaining F1 races.

Alex Palou signed a deal with Zak Brown last year to race for Arrow McLaren in IndyCar in 2024. But despite this fact, Palou held behind-closed-doors talks with a few F1 teams, and this is where the tussle between him and Brown got underway. With time, things have cooled down a bit, but the two are still not backing down from taking indirect shots at each other.

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Zak Brown has, ahead of the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix, said sarcastically that he expects the reigning IndyCar Champion to show up for his McLare reserve driver duties, and since hearing his comments, Palou told Soymotor, “Yes, the plan has changed, I am not going to go to any races.”

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“First of all, because I can’t, first there was the Championship, now we are going to Los Angeles, to the trophy presentation, and then we have tests with the 2024 car. While specifically addressing his tussle with Brown, Palou further added, “We haven’t talked. I don’t think there is anything to talk about that could benefit him or me at this moment.”

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Alex Palou admits he has no problem with Zak Brown

Alex Palou (Credits: Sports Illustrated)
Alex Palou (Credits: Sports Illustrated)

While Alex Plaou has stated his upcoming commitments as reasons for not attending any of McLaren F1’s remaining races, he has also made it known that despite all the rumors, he has no problems with the Woking-based outfit’s F1 CEO. The 26-year-old added, “I don’t have any problem with him.“

“If I see him, I’m not going to look the other way, nor am I going to walk the other way, but for the moment I think we have nothing to talk about.” Palou has hopes of competing at the pinnacle of motor racing in the upcoming years but believes that the opportunity might not come as he’s getting older.

Alex Palou is believed to have held talks with Williams and AlphaTauri before his tussle with Zak Brown went public, but as things stand, it seems the interest from the two F1 outfits has now eventually died. He has all the skills required to do well in F1, and for him, it’s all about pouncing on any opportunity that might come his way in the upcoming years.

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