Team Penske suffered a severe blow as Josef Newgarden, the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion, was disqualified from the IndyCar season opener due to manipulation of his push-to-pass system.
This manipulation also affected teammate Scott McLaughlin, resulting in his disqualification, while Will Power, another Penske driver, received a 10-point penalty but was not disqualified. Roger Penske, the team owner, expressed his disappointment and embarrassment over the situation.
The disqualifications and penalties drew immediate reactions from the racing community, with rival team owner Chip Ganassi labeling it as a blemish on Penske’s team and the series. Pato O’Ward was declared the winner of the race, marking McLaren’s first IndyCar victory since 2022.
The incident, although occurring in March, was only discovered during warmups for a subsequent race in Long Beach, prompting IndyCar to implement new inspection procedures.
IndyCar revealed that Team Penske had manipulated the push-to-pass system to allow its drivers to use it during starts and restarts, contrary to regulations that restrict its use until reaching a certain point on the track. Team Penske president Tim Cindric acknowledged the oversight, stating that the push-to-pass software was not removed following hybrid testing, leading to its improper deployment during the race.
Newgarden, a two-time IndyCar champion, saw a significant drop in standings due to the disqualification, affecting his contract year with Penske. McLaughlin, in his response, claimed ignorance of the glitch and emphasized his adherence to integrity, despite accepting the penalty.
This incident marked Team Penske’s second cheating offense of the season, following Joey Logano’s penalty in a NASCAR race earlier, where he wore an illegal glove during qualifying.
The Logano incident, which involved a modified glove for aerodynamic advantage, had previously drawn criticism from Penske, who expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation. These incidents have placed Team Penske under increased scrutiny, highlighting the importance of upholding integrity in motorsport and the consequences of violating regulations in highly competitive environments.
