Fresh Alex Palou and McLaren twist as F1 2025 clause discovered – report

Former McLaren reserve Alex Palou watches on.

As the dispute between McLaren and Alex Palou continues, it has allegedly emerged that the Spaniard would be free contractually to race for the team in F1 2025 if asked.

McLaren is filing for north of $30 million in damages relating to a contract dispute with IndyCar racer and their ex-Formula 1 reserve Palou, after he reneged on a contract which was set to see him switch from Chip Ganassi Racing to McLaren for the 2024 IndyCar campaign, as he instead remained with Chip Ganassi Racing.

Alex Palou would be free to join McLaren F1 2025 line-up

Palou and his team, while admitting breach of contract, are in the process of pushing back against McLaren in certain areas of their claim, with The Race reporting to have seen an intriguing Formula 1 clause in Palou’s response to McLaren’s request for further information.

As part of a document dated June 12, Palou reportedly states that as per his Chip Ganassi contract, he is “entitled to take up an opportunity to drive as a full-time Formula 1 driver” with McLaren effective as of the F1 2025 campaign.

Palou adds that he “would have agreed (and still would agree)” to be a full-time McLaren F1 driver and believes an exit could have been secured from the Chip Ganassi deal if McLaren had made an offer for the F1 2024 campaign.

The Race add that it is ‘unclear’ whether this alleged clause is McLaren-specific, or would permit Palou to take up a different F1 2025 seat.

More information as the F1 2025 grid continues to take shape

👉 Haas tipped to reject €30m+ offer from driver in danger to secure ‘sure-fire’ F1 2025 lineup

👉 The eight drivers out of contract at the end of the F1 2024 season

Palou served as McLaren’s F1 reserve driver for the 2023 campaign after making his FP1 debut at the 2022 United States Grand Prix, but their current driver line-up of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri is one which impresses McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown greatly.

Asked during his appearance on the Beyond the Grid podcast whether he thinks McLaren has the strongest F1 driver line-up in Norris and Piastri, Brown replied: “I think we do.

“If you take their speed and their age, their commitment to the team, our commitment to them, the length of the agreement. yeah, there’s [not] another driver combination out there I’d want other than the two guys we’ve got.”

McLaren has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence over the last 12 months, with Norris becoming a race winner for the first time at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix.

McLaren are currently P3 in the F1 2024 Constructors’ Championship standings.