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Court files reveal seven-figure price tag to put a rookie in FP1 with McLaren

McLaren Alex Palou Zak Brown Oscar Piastri F1

Court filings in the ongoing dispute between the McLaren Formula 1 team and Alex Palou have revealed a concrete number on how much it costs to put a rookie in a car during a free practice session, according to Motor Sport Magazine.

Documents referenced in the court case between the two parties show that Toyota World Endurance Championship driver Ryo Hirakawa secured a drive during FP1 of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race weekend with McLaren for approximately $3.5million. This also included running older machinery under the 'testing of previous cars' rules.

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