Zak Brown claims Alex Palou is still McLaren’s F1 reserve driver despite their infamous fallout

Zak Brown does not see Alex Palou showing up in Singapore to fulfill his reserve driver duties.

Zak Brown claims Alex Palou is still McLaren’s F1 reserve driver despite their infamous fallout

Zak Brown and Alex Palou (Via IMAGO)

The McLaren F1 team has had a pretty up-and-down campaign this year, and amidst its woes, the Zak Brown–Alex Palou saga was another reason that gave the Woking-based team severe headaches. It ultimately ended in a massive fallout, but Brown has surprisingly admitted that Palou is still the papaya team’s reserve driver.

Alex Palou had a previous agreement with Zak Brown, according to which he was to race for Arrow Mclaren racing in IndyCar in 2024. However, the former held behind-closed-doors F1 talks with a few teams for next year, where everything fell apart between the two teams.

YouTube video

McLaren CEO Zak Brown was asked to talk about the 2021 IndyCar Champion ahead of the upcoming Singapore GP, and he told The Race, “He’s still our reserve driver. So that’s changed because I don’t think he’s going to show up in Singapore, which he’s obligated to. But we have had a couple of different reserve drivers during the year. So we’re now going to have to extend that.”

FS Video

Moreover, Brown has revealed that he has not heard a single word from Palou since their tussle began. “I have not heard a single word from him [Palou] personally since this all happened. There’s what’s happened, but then there’s also how it’s been handled. That’s probably as surprising as anything.”

Discover: Guenther Steiner admits he’s “not confident” about Haas’s chances of beating Williams in 2023

Alex Palou is believed to have held talks with Williams and AlphaTauri

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

While Zak Brown does not see Alex Palou showing up in Singapore to fulfill his reserve driver duties, it is a common belief that the latter held talks with the lights of Williams and the Faenza-based AlphaTauri team regarding a seat for 2024. Both outfits are currently on the lookout to fill the seats.

Williams has one seat open for next year, and it is the most likely place where Palou could find a seat. When it comes to AlphaTauri, there are already quite a few strong candidates vying for the 2024 seats. The Spaniard’s best bet is with the James Vowels-led team to race alongside the extremely talented Alex Albon.

Alex Palou is currently in his mid-20s and does not have the age factor. However, he is regarded as a highly skilled driver in the motorsport world, and this is one thing that could entice Vowels and Co. to give him a chance at the pinnacle of motor racing for at least one full season.

In case you missed it: