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Two-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou concedes in court documents that he breached his contract with McLaren Racing when the Spaniard did an about-face and stayed at Chip Ganassi Racing, having been the reserve driver for McLaren at F1’s Miami Grand Prix. The admission came in Palou's response to a lawsuit filed against him by McLaren in September seeking to recoup at least $23 million (£18.2m) in losses the team calculated Palou's reversal cost the organisation. Palou's 20-page response was filed in the High Court of Justice Business and Property Courts of England and Wales Commercial Court. The Associated Press reviewed the filing Monday. In the response, Palou says he changed his mind about joining McLaren ahead of the 2024 season when he "lost trust and confidence that (McLaren) genuinely intended to support his ambition to race in the Formula One Series and decided to continue racing with CGR in the Indy Car Series instead." Palou "therefore admits that he renounced his contractual obligations" with McLaren and "the real issue between the parties is as to the quantum of any damages which the Defendants are liable to pay," the documents say. The spat over the 26-year-old between two IndyCar teams began when Palou initially disputed a Ganassi claim that the team had picked up the 2023 option year on his contract. McLaren in July 2022 said it had signed Palou and had him earmarked for an IndyCar seat and a reserve driver role with its Formula One team. Chip Ganassi Racing said it had the contractual rights for Palou for the 2023 season. Palou and Ganassi entered mediation and a resolution was reached a year ago in which Palou would drive for Ganassi in 2023 but was also McLaren's reserve F1 driver when it did not interfere with IndyCar. He was able to participate in a practice session, tested for the F1 team both on track and in a simulator, and was the reserve driver for McLaren at F1's Miami Grand Prix in May. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown was contacted Aug. 8 and told by attorneys for Palou that Palou would not be joining McLaren and had instead signed a three-year extension with Ganassi. Palou won the 2021 and 2023 championships with Ganassi and is now signed there through 2026. IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward last week was named Palou's replacement as McLaren's F1 reserve driver and participated in a practice session during the season-ending race weekend in Abu Dhabi. O'Ward is a full-time IndyCar driver for Arrow McLaren Racing. The bulk of Palou's response focuses on McLaren's loss of revenue claims and attempts to mitigate what Palou will owe in damages. The nearly $23 million in damages McLaren is seeking is broken down in future sponsorship tied to Palou joining McLaren, the costs of using him as a reserve F1 driver, how much McLaren spent developing Palou for F1 and a $400,000 advance on his 2024 salary. McLaren is not seeking repayment of legal fees it says it covered for Palou in last year's fight with Ganassi. McLaren has contended Palou signed two contracts: the first with McLaren Racing as the F1 reserve driver and a separate deal with Arrow McLaren to compete in IndyCar for the team while also serving as the F1 backup. Among the damages McLaren is seeking is nearly $15.5 million in lost revenue under official partner agreements with sponsors NTT Data and General Motors that anticipated Palou would be the driver, including $7 million in revenue and prize money from IndyCar itself. "This claim is embarrassing for want of particularity and speculative in the extreme," the response said. "The performance of any team in a future Indy Car Series cannot be predicted with any degree of certainty. Driver performance is variable." The response also disputes McLaren's claim to lost revenues that Palou "would otherwise have earned in relation to the Formula One Series." It notes that claim would only be valid if Palou was actually McLaren's F1 driver, and that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are under contract through 2025 and 2026. The response also claims that if Palou was an F1 driver, all the claims to IndyCar financial losses would be moot. McLaren also wants to recoup all money spent on Palou when he was the test driver, both on track and in the simulator, and money it spent seeking a replacement for Palou. O'Ward became Palou's replacement in the F1 role, while David Malukas was hired to fill the open seat in the IndyCar Series. AP Read More MotoGP icon Valentino Rossi returns to competitive motorsport ‘It did not fail’: W Series enters administration Raul Torras Martinez: Spanish rider dies at Isle of Man TT MotoGP icon Valentino Rossi returns to competitive motorsport ‘It did not fail’: W Series enters administration Raul Torras Martinez: Spanish rider dies at Isle of Man TT

The Houston Texans missed an opportunity to move into first place in the AFC South with Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars

The Philadelphia Eagles are the only 10-1 team in the NFL

CM Punk made his dramatic return to WWE on Saturday night at the Survivor Series show in his hometown of Chicago in what will be considered one of the most shocking moments in recent wrestling history. The outspoken Punk, real name Phil Brooks, was fired from All Elite Wrestling in September following a backstage altercation with Jack Perry at the All In show at Wembley Stadium. It marked an explosive end to a tumultuous tenure for Punk in AEW, one that had started with such euphoria and promise in 2021 only for things to turn sour very, very quickly as personal grievances became public fights, tarnishing more than one person's reputation. Punk hasn't worked for WWE since 2014 when he also fell out with the company over booking decisions and concerns for his health. His return on Saturday should mark a seismic shift in the wrestling landscape, as the sport's biggest company now has one of its biggest stars back under its umbrella. However, the unrest that Punk created in AEW, where he was very vocal in his criticism of WWE, has some fans worried he might cause further issues in his new home. Several of WWE's top talents, like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre had voiced their dislike of Punk, with the latter two now appearing to use that animosity for storyline purposes. Why does everyone hate CM Punk? Let's cut right to the heart of the matter - everyone doesn't hate CM Punk. The genuine reaction his return got at the Allstate Arena and from fans at home speaks volumes as to how adored he is. Punk's debut in AEW in the summer of 2021, regardless of what happened afterwards, is one of the most genuinely uplifting and cathartic moments in wrestling history. A cult hero returning to the industry that made him a star, after 8 years in the wilderness. Only AEW's hardcore fans would have wanted to see the back of him following his comments and backstage brawl at All Out 2022 but it was obvious there was a desire to keep him in the company. Owner, Tony Khan, even added an extra show to the promotion with the sole purpose of giving Punk a platform away from those that he disagreed with. That didn't work out for the Straight Edge Superstar whose, dare we say, flawed commitment to speaking his mind and attempting to spread unsolicited wisdom ultimately cost him his job in AEW. Part of those flaws is what makes Punk so appealing to many fans. He is ultimately human and like all of us makes mistakes but his passion and commitment to wrestling is what should shine through. Punk has and likely always will be one of the most fascinating individuals in all of professional wrestling. Hardly the most skilled talent inside of the ring but a student nonetheless. Meanwhile, he is in a class of a select few wrestlers who as a creative force have the ability to stir real emotion into storylines and matches and evoke real emotions among fans, which is a skill seldom few wrestlers possess. Whether he has completely burnt his bridges in AEW remains to be seen but he is a man famous for holding grudges. With all that in mind though he now finds himself as a top name in the biggest company in wrestling that is currently undergoing a lucrative boom period, unlike anything he would have experienced in his previous tenure with the federation. Will CM Punk be a problem for WWE? Punk's return to WWE immediately has some fans concerned that he will create similar issues and tensions to what he did when he was in AEW. Those concerns are perfectly legitimate given that the 45-year-old is unlikely to stop wearing his heart on his sleeve anytime soon. However, WWE in its current state is a lot different from what he experienced before and a lot different to AEW. For starters, WWE creative is now run by Paul 'Triple H' Levesque, a man Punk previously had issues with, but now appears to have buried the hatchet with his new boss. Punk's previous gripes with WWE lay with Vince McMahon, who is no longer in a position of significant power following the merger with UFC under the TKO banner. Punk will be kept on a short leash in WWE, something which Tony Khan couldn't do in AEW. Any sign of trouble from Punk in WWE will likely be dealt with quickly and if that isn't resolved, then firing shouldn't come as an expense to a company worth $7 billion. Those aforementioned superstars who might be upset about Punk's arrival may have legitimate concerns about him either due to previous history or stories they have heard from elsewhere. This is professional wrestling though and one of the most unique aspects of this strange industry can be that real-life issues can often create the most compelling television. Hating CM Punk for whatever reason, whether you are a fan or on the off chance a wrestler, is fine. He's a divisive individual who has people that either want to put him on a pedestal or cut him down to size but who is history doesn't have those? Even The Beatles and Lionel Messi have their detractors. CM Punk in WWE in 2023 would hardly seem like an ideal fit, especially given the more mature type of wrestling and stories he was producing in AEW. The fruit will be in his labour and whether we get another Summer of Punk or another All Out press conference rant will be the most fascinating aspect of this run. So love him or hate we can all agree that CM Punk being in wrestling is far more interesting than having him out of wrestling. 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The Pittsburgh Steelers' beleaguered offense showed signs of progress in its first game since the abrupt firing of coordinator Matt Canada

Purdue is back at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll after its run to the Maui Invitational title

FC 24 Year in Review Player Pick SBC is now available giving players a chance to pack some of the best SBCs and Objective cards released in October. Here's how to complete the SBC and the best players you can pack.

The Carolina Panthers fired coach Frank Reich with the team off to an NFL-worst 1-10 record in his first year in charge

The Kansas City Chiefs finally showed some second-half life on Sunday in Las Vegas, where they rallied from an early two-touchdown deficit for a 31-17 victory

The U.S. men’s soccer team will open its 2024 schedule with an exhibition against Slovenia on Jan. 20 in San Antonio

Two-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou admits he breached his contract with McLaren Racing when the Spaniard did an about-face and stayed at Chip Ganassi Racing

Southern Cal has its best ranking in 29 years in The Associated Press women's basketball poll, moving up to No. 6