Alex Palou continues to face legal problems while McLaren seeks additional funding. The ongoing lawsuit against Palou, now a two-time IndyCar champion, has been amended by McLaren to include more damages than initially stated. According to court documents reviewed by IndyStar, McLaren outlined the changes in their complaint against Palou. The lawsuit now seeks to recover $31.5 million, an increase from the original claim of $22 million. One of the reasons for the updated amount is the recalculation of the money lost in renegotiating a sponsorship agreement with NTT. McLaren claims that this sponsorship change cost the team nearly $8 million, over $1 million more than the initial estimate. Additionally, McLaren alleges that a new agreement with their other IndyCar driver, Pato O’Ward, was negotiated as a result of Palou’s refusal to sign his contract with McLaren. O’Ward received a two-year extension on his contract, valued at over $8 million, and these costs were included in the final calculation. Several changes and adjustments were made to the dollar amounts included in the lawsuit, resulting in a 40% increase from the initial calculation made six months ago. Palou’s legal team has questioned the validity of McLaren’s claims, particularly questioning the speculative nature of some of the lost revenue sources. The legal battle continues in UK courts, while the 2024 racing season is set to begin next week. Alex Palou will defend his second IndyCar title starting on March 10, a championship he won with Chip Ganassi Racing after resolving a previous attempt to join McLaren.
