The Indianapolis 500 finishing order has significantly changed after NTT IndyCar Series officials issued post-race technical penalties to three teams.
The Nos. 27 and 28 of Andretti Global and the No. 90 of Prema Racing all lost their finishing positions as part of the disqualifications. Ericsson (No. 28) had finished second behind race-winner Alex Palou, while Kirkwood (No. 27) had finished sixth. Ilott (No. 90) had finished 12th.
The disqualifications dropped Ericsson to 31st, Kirkwood to 32nd, and Ilot to 33rd.
According to IndyCar, inspection revealed that the Nos. 27 and 28 had "modifications to the Dallara-supplied Energy Management System (EMS) covers and cover-to-A-arm mounting points with unapproved spacers and parts." The No. 90 "failed to meet the minimum endplate height and location specification."
The two Andretti Global entries violated three IndyCar rules:
- Rule 9.3.1. Improper Conduct - Any member attempting to or engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct, unsafe conduct, or conduct detrimental to racing; IndyCar; and/or to the NTT IndyCar Series, whether during an Event or on/off the Track, may be subject to any or all penalties.
- Rule 14.1.2. Questions to be submitted and will be answered via IRIS. Modifications must be approved seven days prior to the date of intended use.
- Rule 14.1.3. All parts provided by an Approved Supplier must be used as supplied without modification unless otherwise approved by INDYCAR and stated in these Rules or in update bulletins.
The Prema Racing entry also violated three IndyCar rules:
- Rule 9.3.1. Improper Conduct - Any member attempting to or engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct, unsafe conduct, or conduct detrimental to racing; IndyCar; and/or to the NTT IndyCar Series, whether during an Event or on/off the Track, may be subject to any or all penalties.
- Rule 14.7.6.8. Front wing must adhere to the following Technical Inspection dimensions: Failure of the left side minimum endplate height
- Rule 14.7.6.4., which requires endplates, wing flaps and mainplanes remain in the designed location.
The penalties also included $100,000 fines to each team and one-race suspensions to the team/competition managers. They will serve these suspensions during the May 30 - June 1 event on the streets of Detroit.
"We are in receipt of the Indianapolis 500 Post-Race Penalty Notice as provided by IndyCar," Andretti Global said in a Monday statement. "We are taking the necessary time to assess the information, and we will be requesting a full review with IndyCar."
Prema Racing also issued a statement and accepted the penalties. The team indicated that it would not appeal.
"While the same wing was completely original, successfully passed tech multiple times throughout the month, and the issue didn't lead to any performance gain, the car ended up being non-compliant with the rules at the end of the race, so the team accepts full responsibility," the statement said.
"The team is currently investigating the root of the problem, which can involve incidents and fitment or production issues. We look forward to implementing the needed procedures to ensure improved control and avoid these kinds of issues in the future."
The fallout from the post-race penalties meant that a new driver secured a podium finish. David Malukas moved from third place to second, while Pato O'Ward moved from fourth place to third place.