There was a moment when the four-years-long Alex Palou-McLaren saga could’ve ended rather quietly, amicably – and perhaps most importantly, much, much cheaper. That moment? May 29, 2023; the day Palou and McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown – two titans of modern-day racing – sat down across from each other inside an Indianapolis Starbucks 24 hours or less after the checkered flag fell on the Indianapolis 500. Nearly 15 months prior, the pair inked their first two of multi-year contracts that plainly laid out the most reasonable path for the young Spanish driver to pursue his dreams of racing in Formula 1. Their second deal had been set for nearly nine months. The deals – which contained virtually...
