Zak Brown has dismissed Alex Palou's allegations as 'ludicrous'. Photo: RacePictures.

Brown lambasts 'ludicrous' Piastri claim as courtroom battle heats up

15:38, 14 Oct

byNorberto Mujica

Amid the tense legal battle involving McLaren and IndyCar champion Alex Palou, Zak Brown has claimed to be "amused" by the Spaniard's allegations surrounding Oscar Piastri.

Both allegations are clearly ludicrous – and anyone who follows our sport will see straight through them.

- Zak Brown on Alex Palou's allegations

With courtroom proceedings entering their second week, both Brown and Palou have already taken the stand to tell their versions of the events that led to the infamous case.

Some of the IndyCar champion's allegations, Brown claims have amused him, the American told Reuters.

He said: "I'm not sure which allegation amused me more -- the notion that I would not be the one making a key decision about our driver line-up, or the suggestion that I wasn’t on board with signing the hugely talented Oscar Piastri."

The American CEO further dismissed Palou's allegations branding them as "ludicrous."

"Both allegations are clearly ludicrous – and anyone who follows our sport will see straight through them."

Zak Brown and Oscar Piastri have laughed off Alex Palou's allegations. Photo: RacePictures.

Palou's bold trial statements

According to Palou's testimony during a London High Court hearing Brown had told the IndyCar champion that Piastri's performance would be measured against his across the 2023 season with a potential McLaren F1 seat up for grabs in 2024.

The Spaniard also claimed that Brown had revealed to him that the decision to hire the current F1 championship leader had not been made by him, but by the then McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl, before his exit ahead of the 2023 campaign.

According to Reuters, Brown said that he had seen Piastri during the Singapore Grand prix weekend, and that the pair had laughed when revisiting Palou's claim that the American had no say in McLaren's hiring of the Aussie.

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