With Alex Palou suddenly in the middle of a strange situation where two top teams are claiming they have a contract with him for 2023, others in the paddock are watching on with interest to see how it all plays out.
Will Power has given his view of the situation, and though he doesn’t envy being caught in the middle of a contract dispute, he does wish that he was in a position to be offered the kinds of perks that McLaren CEO Zak Brown is able to offer to IndyCar’s young talents.
Both Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta have both completed a Formula 1 test with McLaren’s cars in the past 12 months, and now Palou, assuming his new contract with McLaren is valid, will get a chance to sample an F1 car as well as part of the deal.
Power has been racing in IndyCar for over 15 years, and is solidly considered one of the series’ elder statesmen. At 41, he is also past the age where he would be seriously considered for a seat in Formula 1.
He feels that perhaps if a world-renowned motorsport brand such as McLaren were involved in IndyCar when Power was younger, he would have been offered the same opportunities some of his younger competitors are being offered.
“I wish there was a Zak Brown around when I was that age, when I first got to IndyCar, because I know I would have got a chance in Formula 1,” said Power. “It’s cool to see that because I know how that feels. I know how awesome that would be for Colton [Herta]. I really hope, if he goes there, he does really well.
“I think it’s just so fantastic to have a team like McLaren and Zak Brown in IndyCar. I think it’s great for the series. It’s good for the young guys here obviously. I think it’s great what Zak Brown is doing, I do. Cool to see.
“[The F1 link] would be 100% why Palou would want to go there. I don’t blame him, honestly. I mean, I would be the same. If you had a chance to go and race in F1, as big as F1 is now, yeah, you would want to go there.
“You think about the reach that McLaren has, Formula E, Formula 1, sports car. Man, it’s a pretty good place, pretty good organization to be involved with.”
Talking specifically about Palou’s situation, in which two teams feel they have a valid contract for the driver next season, Power related that it surely will be a distraction for the reigning champion, and that the situation has been brewing for a while.
“I think that’s been a distraction all year for those guys because this whole thing has been going on behind the scenes,” said Power. “Yeah, not ideal if you’re fighting for a championship within a team. Definitely not ideal.
“I have not seen this [conflicting contract situation] in IndyCar. I mean, this sort of thing goes on obviously all the time, various businesses. It’s just one of those things where it’s going to come down to the wording in the contract simply.”
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