Scott McLaughlin, a driver for Team Penske in the IndyCar series, had his podium finish revoked due to a penalty imposed on Wednesday. The penalty was a result of McLaughlin using his Push to Pass system at an unauthorized moment during the race in St. Petersburg on March 10. As a consequence, he lost all points and prize money earned from the race. Following the announcement of the penalty, McLaughlin took to social media to address the situation and accepted responsibility for his actions. However, he emphasized that he did not gain any advantage from using the boost system.
In his statement, McLaughlin expressed his pride in being a member of Team Penske and stood in solidarity with his teammates. He acknowledged that a mistake was made and emphasized the importance of maintaining his own reputation and that of the team. McLaughlin explained that he was unaware of the issue with the software and used the Push to Pass system for a very brief period of time in a section of the track where it is typically used throughout the race. He clarified that he did not overtake any cars or gain any time advantage. The data available to IndyCar confirms this information. While McLaughlin accepted the penalty, he wanted to make it clear that he did not gain an unfair advantage over his competitors. He expressed his respect for the competitiveness of IndyCar and his commitment to achieving success honestly. McLaughlin concluded by stating that he and the team will move forward and focus on the upcoming race in Barber.
The incident in question occurred at Turn 9, which leads to an 1,800-foot stretch on Bayshore drive, ending in a sharp left turn. It is common for drivers to use the Push to Pass system at the start of this straight during races. The designated start-finish line for activating the Push to Pass system on the first lap of a restart was located after Turn 12, just before the final hairpin turn. Both McLaughlin and his teammate Josef Newgarden were disqualified because they used the Push to Pass system during a period when it was not allowed, giving them a competitive advantage. Another driver, Will Power, received a less severe penalty as he did not actively use the system at an inappropriate time, even though his car was configured to allow it. The infractions were discovered almost seven weeks after the race, but IndyCar still decided to impose harsh penalties on the entire team. Moving forward, race officials will conduct additional checks at Barber Motorsports Park to ensure the proper functioning of all cars’ Push to Pass systems.