Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou’s legal argument with his current employer Chip Ganassi Racing does not appear to be nearing an agreement anytime soon.
In a motion filed Monday in the state of Indiana, Palou and his attorneys stated they “currently anticipate asserting non-contractual counterclaims, including at least for defamation” against CGR.
The document also states that such counter-filings, if they are submitted, would seek to reclaim more than $75,000 in damages.
It is not clear if the defamation claims would center around the quotes released in CGR’s press release that Palou claims were not his, or some other aspect of the situation.
The purpose of Monday’s filing was to request the case be transferred to US federal court, as opposed to the Indiana state court, on the basis of ‘Diversity Jurisdiction.’
The law states that when a case is brought that covers parties that are not citizens of the same state and the amount of damages exceeds $75,000, the case is required to be transferred to the federal court system.
Alex Palou is a citizen of Spain and is living in Indiana on a non-permanent work visa, thus requiring the change of jurisdiction based on the amount of money involved.
As a result of the impending transfer to federal court, a preliminary hearing scheduled in Indiana for early October has been canceled.
Regardless of how the situation is eventually resolved, the new motion and the anticipation of a countersuit by Palou means that a resolution could be further delayed.
With ‘silly season’ in full effect, drivers and teams are eager to get their 2023 contracts buttoned up soon so they can make proper preparations for next season as soon as the current one ends in September.
Either Chip Ganassi Racing or Arrow McLaren SP may decide at some point that their plans can no longer wait on a resolution, leading them to finalize decisions to place other drivers in the seats currently in contention.
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