Scott McLaughlin, a driver for Team Penske in the IndyCar series, had his podium position 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 the points and prize money earned in the race. After the announcement of the penalty, McLaughlin took to social media to address the situation and took responsibility for his actions. However, he emphasized that he did not gain any advantage by using the boost system.
In his statement, McLaughlin expressed his pride in being a member of Team Penske and showed solidarity with his teammates. He acknowledged that he made a mistake and emphasized the importance of maintaining his own reputation and that of the team. McLaughlin explained that he was not aware of the issue with the software and used the Push to Pass system for a very brief period in a section of the track where it is normally 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. Although 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 next race at Barber.
El incidente en cuestión ocurrió en la Curva 9, que lleva a un tramo de 1,800 pies en la Bayshore Drive, terminando en una curva cerrada a la izquierda. Es común que los pilotos utilicen el sistema Push to Pass al comienzo de esta recta durante las carreras. La línea de meta designada para activar el sistema Push to Pass en la primera vuelta de un reinicio estaba ubicada después de la Curva 12, justo antes de la última curva en codo. Tanto McLaughlin como su compañero de equipo Josef Newgarden fueron descalificados porque utilizaron el sistema Push to Pass durante un período en el que no estaba permitido, dándoles una ventaja competitiva. Otro piloto, Will Power, recibió una penalización menos severa, ya que no utilizó activamente el sistema en un momento inapropiado, aunque su auto estaba configurado para permitirlo. Las infracciones fueron descubiertas casi siete semanas después de la carrera, pero la IndyCar aún decidió imponer penalidades severas a todo el equipo. En adelante, los oficiales de carrera realizarán verificaciones adicionales en el Barber Motorsports Park para garantizar el funcionamiento adecuado de los sistemas Push to Pass de todos los autos.
