UN-CIVIL WAR? Palou, Ganassi, McLaren at odds on where - and for whom - Palou will race in 2023
Defending IndyCar champion Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing apparently aren’t on the same page about where the 25-year-old Spaniard will be racing next year.
Tuesday afternoon, CGR sent out a media release -- click here to read the release -- that Palou will be back with the team in 2023, that team owner Chip Ganassi is exercising the lone option year on Palou's current three-year contract to keep him with the team through next season.
But Palou, the defending IndyCar champion, essentially said au contraire, he will NOT be back with CGR next year. Palou also posted several messages on Twitter that the Ganassi press release, which included a quote from Palou saying how happy he was to be returning for one more season, did NOT come from him.
And then McLaren issued a press release of its own that Palou will be racing for its organization next year. Whether that’s in IndyCar or Formula One or another series (potentially Formula E?) was not addressed in the release.
Let’s just say it’s been an exciting Tuesday evening on IndyCar Twitter.
Here’s how things played out:
Just after 3:30 p.m. EST Tuesday afternoon, CGR emailed a press release to the media stating that the team had exercised its option to extend the 2021 series champion through the end of the 2023 IndyCar season.
The press release also included the aforementioned quote supposedly from Palou expressing excitement to continue forward with CGR.
“It’s a great feeling knowing I’ll be back with Chip Ganassi Racing next season,” the quote, allegedly from Palou, said. “The team welcomed me with open arms from day one, and I’m excited to continue working with Chip, Mike Hull, the folks on the No. 10 NTT DATA Honda, and everyone within the organization. The goals remain the same and we will continue to work relentlessly towards achieving them.”
But there’s just one problem. Palou denied saying anything in the quote.
Just after 7 p.m. EST, Palou tweeted the following:
“I have recently learned from the media that this afternoon, without my approval, Chip Ganassi Racing issued a press release announcing that I would be driving with CGR in 2023. Even more surprising was that CGR’s release included a “quote” which did not come from me.
“I did not approve that press release, and I did not author or approve that quote. As I have recently informed CGR, for personal reasons, I do not intend to continue with the team after 2022.
“This evening’s unfortunate events aside, I have great respect for the CGR team, and look forward to finishing this season strongly together.”
Minutes later, the McLaren Racing Twitter account announced that he would be joining the team next season:
“¡Hola Alex!,” McLaren’s Tweet read.”McLaren Racing welcomes #INDYCAR champion
@AlexPalou to its driver roster from 2023, as the team continues to build talent across all of its racing series.”
The McLaren tweet and accompanying press release -- -- also noticeably did not mention which racing series Palou would compete in for the organization next year. It only mentioned that Palou would take part in its F1 testing program next season.
“We have always said that we want the best talent at McLaren, and it’s exciting to be able to include Alex on that list,” McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said in the press release. “I’m also looking forward to seeing him get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car as part of our Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme alongside Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta as we continue to build our driver talent.
"Alex is an incredibly talented driver who has won in every series he has raced in, and I’m happy to welcome him to the McLaren family.”
On the IndyCar side of things, McLaren has confirmed that Pato O’Ward will return for 2023 and that current Andretti Autosport driver and 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi will join the team for next year.
McLaren has also mentioned that Felix Rosenqvist will drive for the team next season but has yet to announce in which series the Swede will compete in. McLaren Racing currently competes in IndyCar, Formula One and Formula E. It has been rumored that Rosenqvist would pilot McLaren's Formula E team next season.
If Palou indeed is able to get out of his deal with CGR and drives in the IndyCar Series next year for McLaren, the organization would have to add a car to make it a three-car operation. Or, there's the potential F1 possibility, as Palou already has enough FIA Superlicense points -- by virtue of winning last year's IndyCar championship -- to step right into a top-level F1 ride in 2023.
To add even more speculation to the team’s future plans, current Andretti Autosport IndyCar driver Colton Herta also tested an F1 car for McLaren at Portugal’s Portimao circuit on Monday and Tuesday. Also, while he is currently signed with McLaren for the 2023 F1 season, Daniel Riccardo’s future with the team - and in F1 - are also rumored to be in jeopardy.
And O'Ward, who tested for McLaren last December and is rumored to be planning another upcoming test after the current IndyCar season, has stated several times that his ultimate career plans have him racing full-time in F1.
Then at 9:41 p.m. EST, IndyCar Radio announcer Jake Query tweeted the following:
“A @CGRTeams official, tonight: “Our release today said it: Alex Palou is under contract with the team through 2023.”
As for IndyCar, it is staying out of the situation, but did add a bit of levity to what is obviously a very tenuous issue:
Auto Racing Digest will continue to provide updates on this unusual situation as they come in.