Palou, apart from the controversy: "I am focused on this championship"

the spanish pilot alex palou Efe was told he was trying to stay away from the controversy over his contract for 2023, which his current team is disputing, Chip Ganassi Racing (CRG)and the group of Formula 1 McLaren Racingand he is focused on winning the championship this year.

Palou, the reigning IndyCar champion, made a comeback in the day at the Honda Indy Toronto race on Sunday by starting the race in 22nd place and finishing sixth.

After the Canadian city race, won by his teammate Scott Dixon, Palou was third in the IndyCar standings, with 314 points, just two behind second Will Power.

Another CRG driver, Marcus Ericsson, who finished fifth today at Honda Indy Toronto, confirmed his lead over IndyCar with 351 points.

Palou explained to Efe after he got out of his car that he understood that this had become the main focus of interest in the news. of IndyCar since then on Tuesday controversy erupted between CRG and McLaren Racing but they tried to stay away from it.

“I understand that all journalists are focused on everything but I try to be a bit separate. Ultimately, I understand that it’s everyone’s job and it’s the best seller. But we are focused on trying to win this championship “said.

“We can’t let ourselves relax and think about other things, so 100 percent focused on this year and nothing else, to continue the fight “He added.

Regarding the race in Canada, Palou acknowledged that the weekend, the first time he competed on the Toronto circuit complex, which was full of potholes and very narrow, turned out to be difficult but eventually they got big rewards, both in personally and for the team. .by Chip Ganassi.

“Things got a bit complicated for us. It was a circuit that we didn’t know, we had an accident in practice two and then we had a mechanical problem in qualifying. It wasn’t the perfect weekend but we managed it quite well. In a race like this So happy to finish sixth “, he declared.

Palou added that he is confident team boss Chip Ganassi is happy with the harvest in Toronto, which includes Dixon’s win, the fifth for Marcu Ericsson, also part of CRG, and his return to sixth.

“Yes, for sure. I think it’s Scott’s first win of the year. They’ve been there all year fighting and sticking their heads together, so it’s good that he got it,” he said.

But he also admitted that Dixon’s win lifted the New Zealander to fourth place in the IndyCar standings, just seven points behind Palou.

“It’s pretty bad for us for the championship that’s close. But, no, the truth is I’m happy, it’s been a very good day for the team with three cars in the first six positions so nothing, we’ll try to improve next time. “, he concludes.