Hull seemed somewhat hesitant to discuss the current state of affairs at Team Penske. Photo: Kevin Dejewski
Mike Hull, managing director of Chip Ganassi Racing, has been a figure in the world of IndyCar for over thirty years. Known for his strong opinions, Hull took the opportunity before Fast Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to share his thoughts on the recent scandal involving Team Penske’s cheating with Push to Pass.
After the series uncovered the violation, IndyCar imposed severe penalties on the three Team Penske drivers a few weeks ago. Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin had their results in St. Pete nullified, including a win and a podium, respectively.
Monetary fines were also issued, and IndyCar was compelled to standardize the electronic control unit (ECU) for all teams to prevent future circumventions of fair competition regulations.
Throughout the recent events, almost every driver has been questioned about their opinions on the matter. However, Hull had the opportunity to express his viewpoint on Friday morning.
“Yes, it’s hard not to address this,” Hull replied when asked if he was satisfied with Team Penske’s current position.
“At the same time, I believe the reality is that we always focus on our own program and work incredibly hard to maximize our performance.
“I’m not going to try to give you a diplomatic answer. Were we satisfied with what happened? Absolutely not. No way. Was it handled appropriately? That depends on who you ask.
“But this is the Indianapolis 500, and our goal is to win this race. The less time we spend thinking about this back and forth, the better for us as a team.
“I hope everyone has learned from this experience. I hope the regulatory body has also learned from this. I hope they take steps to improve the situation in the future and benefit us all.
“It’s surprising to me that something like this can happen in this day and age. I’ll leave it at that.”
Separate from the IndyCar penalties, Team Penske has suspended four key engineers and managers from participating in IndyCar activities for two races, including the upcoming Indy 500.
Newgarden and Power are currently juggling dual roles within the team during the crucial weeks at IMS, undoubtedly putting pressure on the team’s operations.
As more opinions are expressed, it becomes clear that not everyone in the paddock is satisfied with the situation, even after the penalties have been served.
