"I'm extremely excited to join the driver roster for such an iconic team as McLaren. I'm excited to be able to show what I can do behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car and looking at what doors that may open," said defending Indy world champion Alex Palou. "I want to thank everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing for everything they have done for me."
Palou was the first Spanish driver to win the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship when he claimed last year's title after winning three races and grabbing eight podiums. Being only 25 years old, his future in the American motorsport series is exceptionally bright.
As a result, McLaren is so excited about Alex that he will become part of the British team's Formula One testing program along with two other Indy drivers, Pato O'Ward and Colton Herta.
"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," said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing.
The British team now has three of IndyCar's top young talents in the "bag" for its F1 testing program. Besides Indy and F1, McLaren has a Formula E team, so they have enough options to place their driver how and where they want.
Until the 2023 season, you can follow Alex Palou in Ontario at the Honda Indy Toronto race.
¡Hola Alex! ????????
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 12, 2022
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. ????
Our full driver line-up across all racing series will be confirmed in due course.
— Alex Palou Montalbo (@AlexPalou) July 12, 2022
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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.