Team Penske has made significant changes following its shock firings of top executives, with owner Roger Penske taking personal responsibility for the decision. The team’s drivers, Will Power and Josef Newgarden, have expressed their support for Penske’s actions.
The firings came after a cheating scandal involving the cars’ rear attenuator, which was found to have been modified without permission. IndyCar discovered that Team Penske had filled in a seam on the part, giving it an aerodynamic advantage. The incident is not believed to have provided a significant performance gain.
Power said that Penske’s decision was made after a sleepless night, and he expressed sympathy for his boss, who owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and several other racing teams. Power praised Penske’s ability to move forward quickly and make decisions.
Newgarden declined to comment on the situation, but emphasized the importance of moving forward. He will start from 32nd place in Sunday’s race with a new team behind him.
Scott McLaughlin, who was dropped to last place in the qualifying grid due to his involvement in a crash early in the session, expressed anger and disappointment towards the team’s owners. Power, who is in the final year of his contract, believes that Penske was forced into the firings by external pressure from other teams.
The incident marks the second major technical violation for Team Penske in just over a year. The team has won the Indianapolis 500 a record 20 times, and its drivers have expressed their commitment to moving forward and avoiding similar incidents in the future.
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Source: https://apnews.com/article/indy-500-penske-power-newgarden-cheating-20f97637361da290e28e059cc1623bd1