In a shock announcement Wednesday, IndyCar introduced that Workforce Penske has been assessed penalties following a problem with the staff’s “Push to Cross” system found throughout morning warmup on Sunday in Lengthy Seaside. Winner Josef Newgarden and third-place finisher Scott McLaughlin are each disqualified from the season opener at St. Petersburg in March, with teammate Will Energy promoted to second place however penalized 10 driver factors. Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, who initially completed in second place, is now the official winner – his first win since Iowa in 2022.
Officers decided that each one three vehicles used the “Push to Cross” system on race begins and restarts, which isn’t allowed underneath Rule 14.19.16 of the IndyCar Sequence rulebook. Investigation confirmed that Newgarden’s No. 2 and McLaughlin’s No. 3 gained a aggressive benefit with the violation, whereas Energy didn’t, ensuing within the 2022 champion preserving his place.
Workforce Penske president Tim Cindric responded, saying it was a mistake associated to current hybrid testing, and that the staff is not going to attraction:
Within the prime 5, O’Ward and Energy are joined by Colton Herta, Alex Palou, and Felix Rosenqvist. Newgarden, who beforehand led the championship standings, is now in eleventh with McLaughlin down in twenty ninth. Scott Dixon, who received in Lengthy Seaside, now leads the standings, adopted by Herta, Palou, O’Ward, and Energy.
IndyCar is again on monitor in Alabama this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. McLaughlin received at Barber final yr.
