Wednesday, July 27, 2022

The Alex Palou Gong show

C’mon Down Alex, You’re the Next Contestant on Let’s Make A Deal!

 

As usual, I find it Uber Hilarious that once again I missed out upon another total Firestorm Shit show, Hot Topic issue on No Fenders. Which Arse-sumedly has Cooled Down a little by now?

 

Having already put my four part Paul Newman: A Life book review into the Hopper, Y’all have had to wait for my two Pesos worth over Indy Cars current gong Show.

 

All of which made me think of another time over a decade ago when I was caught Flat Footed, having gone on Holiday and posting a tribute to the late bill Muncey following the weekend of Dan Wheldon’s Death. Which presumably won’t be the last time I fall Afoul of this Mateys…

 

http://www.nofenders.net/2011/10/hydros-day-sports-king-met-his-maker.html

 

And even if you’ve been living Underneath a Rock or in a Hidey Hole lately, you’ve certainly Heard the News over Alex Palou’s being signed to presumably drive for two rival IndyCar teams next year.

 

As Racer’s Marshall Pruett has laid out the Bare Facts. Noting that Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) had inked Palou to a two year contract with at minimum, a Team Option for 2023, and possibly 2024? Which CGR simply exercised said option for Alex’s services in 2023.

 

Yet the Affable Spaniard apparently feels He’s Not being rewarded for winning a Championship last year, and deserves more money from Cheep’. Which Ganassi obviously Doesn’t feel He needs to do so, since Alex already signed a Bargain Basement “Rookie” Contract with His IndyCar Organization. While Palou quickly made His intentions known following the CGR announcement.

 

Meanwhile, I love the Quote Colton Herta provided the Indianapolis Star’s Motorsports Beat Writer Nathan Browne. As the young American said regarding Zak Brown: “He’s a total cut Throat, He’s a Businessman! Although Herta believed Zackery would “shoot Straight” with Him while Colton was busy making His Debutante test aboard McLaren’s Formula 1 MCL35M chassis during a two day (TPC) test at Portimao.

 

Ironically  not only prior to the Toronto IndyCar race, but the Shit Show that erupted that week’s apparent Tug ‘O War between CGR and Arrow McLaren SP. (AMSP) Although I suppose it’s worth noting that the pursuer’s Press release came from McLaren Racing I believe…

 

If we Arse-sume that Zak Brown gets His way with Palou, interestingly the McLaren Racing Organization will have six known “Heavy Hitter” Drivers on it’s books between IndyCar, f1 and Formula E, since only Brown knows who the other Formula E Driver will be.

 

Whilst I feel confident we can leave out McLaren’s Extreme E operation, and presumably also Brown’s association with Michael Andretti’s Supercar’s outfit Down Under.

 

Although I know that the Powers to Be of the Supercars Championship would be thrilled to welcome DannyRic’, aka Daniel Ricciardo as a Supercars competitor driving for the Walkinshaw Andretti United team that’s owned by Mikey A’ and Zak Brown’s United Autosports…

 

We know that Lando Norris has a Deal thru 2025 to remain a McLaren Formula 1 Driver, and that Alexander Rossi’s already been announced to be moving to AMSP’s IndyCar operation next year on a Multi-year Contract. 

 

Part of what I enjoy about Pato O’ward, who seemingly is locked into an IndyCar contract thru 2025? Is His Honesty, havig Quipped previously that if any driver tells you He Doesn’t want to race in Formula 1, then He’s Lyig! As the young Mexican finished fourth behind Nyck de Bries, Liam Lawson and Oscar Piastri during His maiden F1 outing during last winter’s F1 Young Drivers test at Abu Dhabi.

 

Meanwhile, current AMSP IndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist comes across to me as a driver who’s resigned to the fact that He’ll be racing in Formula E next year, even if He cannot “Contractually” say so. While doing His best to make this move look awkward after His current resurgence in Indy Cars, including His first podium finish at Toronto, where He banged wheels with Rossi.

 

Which just leaves us with current Mclaren F1 driver Ricciardo, who’s already publicly stated He plans on seeing thru His contract to drive in Formula 1 for McLaren thru next season. Having stated he’s currently working His Arse Off to improve the car and His position in the Drivers Championship.

 

Look, I get the Siren song call of Formula 1 for any aspiring Open Wheel Racing Driver, and that part of McLaren’s potential wooing of Palou was the caviot of getting to test a McLaren Formula 1 chassis, which Ganassi cannot offer. But if I’m reading the Tea Leaves correctly and Arse-suming Palou’s a McLaren Racing entity next year. Then there’s potentially four known drivers, i.e.; O’Ward, Ricciardo, Herta and Palou All vying for a single McLaren F1 seat.

 

And that doesn’t rule out the prospect of reigning FIA Formula 2 Champion Oscar Piastri, currently on “Ice” as an Alpine and McLaren F1 Reserve

Driver this season. As I tend to believe I read somewhere that McLaren F1 CEO Andreas Seidl was quite “High” upon Messer Piastri and that the Australian would possibly be taking part in McLaren’s Testing of Previous Car (TPC) programme, where F1 Teams are allowed to test Non Formula 1 Drivers in a year old F1 Chassis. Along with each team now required to run an aspiring F1 Hopeful in two Free Practice sessions this year.

 

As I know I’ve also Heard how cagey Piastri’s Manager Mark Handlebarz’ Webber is, meaning a move to replace Ricciardo next year is a possibility

, especially since Zak Brown’s previously mentioned there’s “Break” clauses in Ricciardo’s contract.

 

Although I’m left wondering if Piastri will more likely wind up at Aston Martin as ‘lil syd viddle’s  replacement next year instead? And why would AMSP Hire Palou as a “Stop Gap” one year IndyCar driver to have to go thru the whole process of filling their team’s third seat again in 2024?

 

All of which means, we’ll probably Not know anything definitive until at least the Indy Cars season’s end in early September, or even later this year. Or possibly not until after the Holidays, in early 2023?

 

While who needs a Real Housewives of F1 Reality TV Show when Indy Cars has Alex Palou driving for two potential IndyCar teams next year!

 

As ultimately, it sounds like Palou signed the wrong Contract with Cheep! But who knows if Alex’s Management Team had any Bargaining leverage at All to get some sort of incentives clause written into His Ganassi IndyCar contract? Or that Cheep was willing to be Flexible at All?