IndyCar's season-opening race at St. Petersburg took an unexpected turn as Josef Newgarden's victory was disqualified due to Team Penske's manipulation of the push-to-pass system. This decision elevated Pato O'Ward, driving for McLaren, to the top spot after originally finishing second. Scott McLaughlin, another Penske teammate who secured third place, was also disqualified, along with a 10-point deduction for Will Power, the third Penske driver. Furthermore, all three Penske entries received a $25,000 fine and will forfeit their prize money from the race.
IndyCar President Jay Frye emphasized the importance of upholding the championship's integrity, stating that the violation was detected post-race at St. Petersburg but rectified before the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. To prevent future infractions, new technical inspection procedures will be implemented starting from the upcoming race at Barber Motorsports Park.
The disqualification had significant repercussions for Newgarden, a prominent figure in IndyCar with two championships and an Indianapolis 500 win under his belt. The penalty dropped him from the top of the points standings to 11th place.
An analysis of race data revealed that Team Penske had tampered with the overtake system, enabling their drivers to use push-to-pass during starts and restarts, contrary to IndyCar regulations. The overtake feature is only permitted after crossing the alternate start-finish line, a rule that Penske's drivers violated at St. Petersburg.
Team Penske's President, Tim Cindric, acknowledged the oversight, attributing it to the failure to remove push-to-pass software following hybrid testing in their Indy cars. This software glitch allowed Newgarden and McLaughlin to deploy push-to-pass during a restart, leading to the rule breach. Cindric expressed Penske's acceptance of the penalties imposed by IndyCar in response to the incident.
As IndyCar continues its season, the repercussions of this disqualification serve as a reminder of the sport's commitment to fair play and adherence to regulations, ensuring a level playing field for all competitors.
