They include his right-hand man, Tim Cindric, who is the president of all his racing operations, along with long-time managing director Ron Ruzewski. In all, four individuals have been suspended for the next two races – which includes the Indianapolis 500.
“I recognise the magnitude of what occurred and the impact it continues to have on the sport to which I’ve dedicated so many decades,” said Penske. “Everyone at Team Penske along with our fans and business partners should know that I apologize for the errors that were made and I deeply regret them.”
The integrity of Team Penske was put into question by the paddock after IndyCar officials disqualified St. Petersburg race winner Josef Newgarden and third-place finisher Scott McLaughlin for illegal use of the push-to-pass system in last month's season-opener.
Their team-mate Will Power's car also had the same software, which resulted from a coding change during hybrid testing that was not removed when the 2024 season began, but data did not find him guilty of using it in a wrongful manner. He was still docked 10 points, while all three were fined $25,000 each and forfeited their prize money.
The breach was not found until last weekend’s round in Long Beach, and the disqualifications were handed out 45 days after the event.
Following a full internal investigation into what happened, with many in the paddock stating off the record that they did not believe the statements regarding the circumstances of the situation, Penske has now reacted.
Newgarden’s race engineer Luke Mason, the man that he gave much credit for his 2023 Indy 500 success, and a senior data engineer are also suspended for two races. He will be without both of them as he bids to defend his Indy 500 crown.
A statement from Penske read: “Following the penalties to the Team Penske INDYCAR team and drivers after Long Beach, Team Penske has completed an internal review.
“After a full and comprehensive analysis of the information, Team Penske has determined that there were significant failures in our processes and internal communications. As a result, Luke Mason [No. 2 Race Engineer] and Robbie Atkinson [Senior Data Engineer] will be suspended from Team Penske for the next two INDYCAR races including the Indianapolis 500.
“In addition, Ron Ruzewski [Managing Director, Team Penske INDYCAR] will also be suspended for these two races, along with Tim Cindric [President of Team Penske], who has accountability for all of Team Penske’s operations.”
Cindric posted his own statement on Team Penske’s X account, stating: “For Ron and I as leaders of this team, it’s not about what we did, it’s about what we didn’t do.
“It is our responsibility to provide the team and all our drivers with the right processes to ensure something like this can’t happen. For that, I apologize to Roger, our team and everyone that supports us.”
He added: “Our number one job is to protect and enhance the reputation of our brand and that of those that support us. In that regard, as the overall leader, I failed and must raise my hand and be accountable with the others.
“This is a team, and in my position, it’s the right thing to do.”
Statement from Tim Cindric, Team Penske President: pic.twitter.com/rU6iE9mI5t
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) May 7, 2024
