WHO ADVISED HIM? THE MYSTERY FIGURES BEHIND ALEX PALOU’S FAILED MCLAREN F1 JUMP
Palou admits "bad advice" led to McLaren lawsuit. Get the full story on the $20M contract breach and the final 2026 settlement.
McLaren and Chip Ganassi Racing have finally settled their long-running dispute after the London High Court sided with McLaren against Alex Palou and CGR.
Back in January, the court ordered Palou, a four-time IndyCar champ, to pay McLaren over $12 million. That came after a five-week trial last year. The whole mess started when McLaren sued Palou for about $20 million, claiming he broke his contract. Both McLaren and Ganassi wanted Palou for their 2023 IndyCar lineups, and things got messy when they both staked their claims.
Eventually, everyone agreed Palou would stay at Ganassi and test for McLaren’s F1 team, with the idea he’d join McLaren’s IndyCar squad in 2024. But when the time came, Palou decided to stick with Ganassi anyway. He said he’d lost faith in McLaren giving him a shot in F1. McLaren, not thrilled, sued to recover what they said they lost in sponsorship, driver salaries, performance bonuses, the works.
Now it’s finally over. On Friday, McLaren CEO Zak Brown said, “I’m very pleased we’ve reached a final settlement with Chip Ganassi Racing after a UK judge ruled in our favour in January. Huge thanks to our team for sticking with it so long and to everyone who supported us. Now we can get back to the real business of racing.”
During the court battle, Palou argued that Brown led him to believe an F1 seat was possible in 2024, even after Oscar Piastri arrived as Lando Norris’s teammate. Palou claimed, “Zak told me it wasn’t his call to hire Oscar,” and that Piastri’s performance would be measured against his, with 2024 in mind. Brown flat-out denied that, calling the idea "ludicrous". Supposedly, Piastri even laughed about Palou’s comments.
After the court sided with McLaren, Palou changed his tune. He accepted the decision and said McLaren had honoured all their commitments. “Back then, I was being pulled in every direction and had the wrong people advising me,” Palou said. “I got bad advice or none at all. Looking back, I wish I’d just talked to Zak directly. McLaren and Zak did everything they promised. I was never misled, and I respect how they handled things. I also want to thank Chip, my teammates, and everyone at Ganassi for their support. I’ve learned a lot from this. I’m glad it’s settled and grateful to everyone who helped reach this point. Now I just want to focus on racing, where both teams can compete on track.”
Palou admitted it’s been a tough stretch; he put both teams in a hard spot, and he regrets it. Ganassi, for his part, said, “I can’t condone what happened, but I’m glad it’s over. Hopefully, Alex has learned to keep good people around him, so we don’t see a repeat of 2023. Thanks to Zak and McLaren for helping us move on and get back to racing.”
Now, Palou’s chasing his fifth straight IndyCar title, starting this weekend at St Petersburg.
KIMI ANTONELLI LEADS F1; GEORGE RUSSELL DROPS TO FOURTH AFTER FRUSTRATING P4 FINISH AT SUZUKA
Kimi Antonelli leads the F1 championship! Discover why George Russell is under fire, and Max Verstappen is eyeing a Mercedes seat.
Heading into 2026, everyone had George Russell pegged as the clear favourite for the F1 drivers’ title. Now, Kimi Antonelli is the one stealing the spotlight.
Russell’s in the toughest spot of his Mercedes career, and every time his 19-year-old teammate lays down another blistering lap, the pressure ramps up.
Back-to-back wins in China and Japan haven’t just made Antonelli a real threat for the championship hey’ve totally changed the vibe in the Mercedes garage. Suddenly, everyone’s looking at Russell differently.
It’s a harsh reality. Russell’s now 28, this is his fifth season with Mercedes, and before the season, the bookies put him at the top. But things haven’t gone his way: car problems and Antonelli off to a flying start have made life as the team’s “senior driver” anything but easy.
Antonelli is leading the championship with 97 points; he’s 22 clear of Russell, and he’s won two of the season’s first three races.
The pressure on Russell goes deeper than just being outscored by his teammate. The clock’s ticking, and the spectre of Max Verstappen isn’t going away.
Antonelli’s rise has been ruthless. He’s snagged a pole in both China and Japan. Every big result just confirms what some at Mercedes are starting to admit: he looks like the future, especially since he’s so good on the tough tyre compounds.
Antonelli himself isn’t pretending he’s the finished product. After his win in Japan, where he slipped back to sixth at the start, by the way, he said his launches off the line “definitely” need work. “It’s been a weak point this year, and I need to improve that because you can easily win or lose races with that.” Still, he’s on top. After Japan, he said, “It’s too early to think about the championship, but we’re in a good way.” He’s ambitious, but grounded.
Russell, meanwhile, battled a rear suspension setup issue at Suzuka. Too much oversteer, not enough grip. Toto Wolff admitted the tweak “put the car on the nose” and hurt them on Sunday. Russell crossed the line fourth, losing more ground to Antonelli.
People are noticing the shift. Christian Danner, former F1 driver, reckons Russell’s going to fight back. Maybe he will. But as the points gap grows and each race builds Antonelli’s reputation, talk is cheap.
Here’s the wild card: Mercedes could go for Verstappen.
The four-time champ is sitting in ninth, with only 12 points after three rounds. That’s foreign territory for Max. With Red Bull floundering and upcoming 2026 rules causing headaches, he’s reportedly rethinking his future there.
Sure, Verstappen’s Red Bull contract goes through 2028. But there are performance clauses he can walk if he’s outside the top two by summer break. That’s not looking so far-fetched the way things are standing.
He’s called the new cars “fundamentally flawed.” Is he admitting he’s “seriously considering quitting Formula 1.” And last year? Mercedes and Verstappen’s people were in talks. It even held up Russell’s contract talks with Wolff.
If Verstappen comes on the market, you know Wolff’s going to take a serious look. He’s openly a fan. For Russell, that’s unsettling. If Mercedes keeps winning and Verstappen wants in, Russell’s seat isn’t safe.
Russell came to Mercedes back in 2022, expecting to be a title contender. He got his first win in São Paulo that year, and he’s been a reliable points finisher, fourth in the 2025 standings with 319 points, a personal best.
But being “reliable” doesn’t cut it when a teenager is beating you and a superstar like Verstappen could be about to knock on the door.
It’s only been three races, but Antonelli’s already ahead 2–1 in both qualifying and race results, and those two are poles and outright wins.
Wolff tried to pump up Russell before things got started, calling him “one of the best” and saying it was nice he was the bookies’ top pick. But Wolff also tipped Antonelli to step up in his second season. That’s already coming true.
Russell’s shot at a championship is getting slimmer by the week. If Antonelli keeps this up and if Verstappen’s name enters the mix, Mercedes has some massive decisions ahead.
At this point, Russell’s fighting for more than just a title. He’s fighting to prove he deserves a place at the top at all.
ZAK BROWN COMPLETES A "RED BULL HAT-TRICK" BY SIGNING GIANPIERO LAMBIASE FOR 2028
Zak Brown confirms GianPiero Lambiase joins McLaren as Chief Racing Officer. See how this impacts Red Bull and Verstappen.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has finally spoken up after landing GianPiero Lambiase as the team’s new Formula 1 Chief Racing Officer starting in 2028.
News of Lambiase’s move from Red Bull to McLaren has already got people buzzing in the paddock. And really, it’s a big deal that the reigning constructors’ champions just added another heavyweight to their ranks. First, Rob Marshall, known for his aerodynamic expertise, came on board. Then Will Courtenay, the former Head of Strategy, joined too. Now, Lambiase completes the trio.
We still don’t know exactly what Lambiase will be handling, but he’ll report to Team Principal Andrea Stella, who’s been rumoured to have caught Ferrari’s eye.
Brown couldn’t hide his excitement in his first public comments. He went on X to announce: “Happy to share that GianPiero Lambiase will join the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team as Chief Racing Officer, reporting into Team Principal Andrea Stella, when his contract ends no later than 2028. He joins an incredible team under Andrea’s leadership, and I’m excited about what we can achieve together.”
Red Bull’s statement had a totally different vibe. The team confirmed Lambiase would leave in 2028, when his contract is up, but stopped short of saying when he could head over to McLaren. “GP is a valued member of the team, who joined in 2015. Until his planned departure, GP continues in his roles as head of racing and as race engineer to Max Verstappen. The team and he are fully committed to adding more success to our strong track record together.”
Honestly, Zak Brown is shaking things up in the F1 paddock. He’s snagging Red Bull’s big names, much like Christian Horner did to Mercedes when the ground effect era started. Lambiase’s decision to join McLaren really does feel like the end of an era for Red Bull.
