Freshly appointed IndyCar president Doug Boles finds himself faced with his inaugural competitive decision, following the recent full-field test at the renowned Sebring International Raceway. The dilemma cropped up when Scott Dixon’s brand-new engine, designed to power the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, faltered after a mere four miles.
The nature of the engine failure remains ambiguous, though it’s thought to be a one-off event rather than an issue stemming from the actions of the No. 9 crew or Dixon himself. Interestingly, no other Honda-powered teams reported any engine problems during the test.
Dixon’s engine failure occurred after a single circuit of the 1.67-mile short course. He returned to the pit for a team inspection, then embarked on an out-lap and about half of a second lap – a total of 2.5 laps – before the 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 engine failed.
In accordance with IndyCar’s engine supply system rules, each entry is allocated four engines per season, costing $1.6 million per lease. These engines are expected to serve up to 10,000 combined miles, including the final pre-season test. Any necessity for more than four engines incurs grid penalties for each additional engine installed beyond the sanctioned four.
The penalty system was initially intended to deter engine suppliers from manufacturing high-powered but expensive, short-lived engines. However, in recent times, it has been employed more to prevent manufacturers from implementing unnecessary late-season motor changes among their championship contenders.
It’s worth noting that engines with high mileage are more susceptible to failure. This led to Chevrolet and Honda replacing worn-out engines with fresh ones for their leading drivers, deliberately surpassing the four-engine limit to boost their chances of securing the title. Yet, the engine penalty system doesn’t cater to the unexpected engine failure that hit the No. 9 car at Sebring, presenting a new challenge for the authorities.
Considering Dixon’s four-mile engine failure, the Ganassi driver will start the first practice session at St. Petersburg with his second engine. Given that each engine is intended to last approximately 2,500 miles, Dixon will exhaust his engine mileage quota well before the season concludes, triggering a grid position penalty when a fifth engine becomes necessary for the final races.
Under the current rules, the series can’t make exceptions for drivers like Dixon who experience sudden engine failures during testing. Ganassi managing director Mike Hull expressed his discontent with the rule, stating that teams bear the brunt of engine failure penalties while manufacturers pay a price when they exceed the four-engine limit with a particular car, as they lose the ability to score Manufacturers’ points.
Boles, however, remains resolute in his stance on the matter. He acknowledges the constraints this places on Dixon but maintains that the rules must be upheld. Boles did mention that this incident provides an opportunity to revisit the rules, although it’s unlikely that changes will be implemented for the 2025 season. The issue of pre-season engine failure is set to be part of Boles’ agenda for the 2026 rules review.