“I was at brunch and it was ruined”: PREMA driver opens up on his crushing Indy 500 penalties

Following post-race technical inspections after Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, IndyCar penalized three cars: the No. 27 and No. 28 from Andretti Global and the No. 90 car from PREMA Racing. Callum Ilott, the disqualified PREMA driver, opened up about his immediate reaction to the shocking news.

During the routine inspection, the front wing assembly of Callum Ilott's #90 PREMA Racing failed to meet the minimum endplate height and location specification. PREMA Racing was found to be in breach of Rule 9.3.1, which addresses improper conduct.

This rule states that any team member involved in unsportsmanlike, unsafe, or otherwise harmful behavior, whether during an event or outside of competition, may face disciplinary action. In addition, the team violated Rule 14.7.6.8 due to the front wing not meeting the required technical specifications, specifically the minimum height on the left side of the endplate.

They were also held liable under Rule 14.7.6.4, which mandates that components such as endplates, wing flaps, and main planes must remain in their original, intended positions. Speaking about the post-race penalty, which dropped Ilott to the rear of the field, the PREMA Racing driver expressed his feelings about the disqualification.

"I was at brunch ... and it was ruined, unfortunately. We put on a great race yesterday, if only I would have known, I wouldn't have done a few stupid wide moves on the restart...saved everyone the nerves," said Ilott jokingly

All three penalized entries have been moved to the back of the finishing order, according to their placements in the initial unofficial results. Their championship points and prize earnings have been updated to align with their revised, official finishing positions.

In addition to the reordering, each car has been issued a $100,000 fine, and the respective team or competition managers have been handed a one-race suspension. The revised order has AJ Foyt Racing’s David Malukas in second to Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, with Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward in third.

---

PREMA Racing's Pole sitter Robert Shwartzman opens up about the Pit Lane crash

109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

Indy 500 Pole sitter, Robert Shwartzman was involved in a concerning incident during Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 when he lost control on the pit lane and made contact in his pit box, striking several crew members. The rookie driver entered the pit area after completing approximately 87 laps, and while being repositioned by his mechanics, the car unexpectedly hit four crew members.

One individual was transported from the scene on a stretcher for further evaluation.

"I honestly felt really strange my brakes when I was coming slow in pit lane. I locked up both front tires, which usually is not the case," Shwartzman said. "I wasn't sure if it was the brakes or because the tires were cold. And then when I came back to my pit I did not push I tried to be very slow. But as soon as I touched my brakes, my whole front just locks and I went right into the guys," said Robert

"It was really scary, because at the moment I braked I was just a passenger, it was nothing, no breaks," he added

The next race, i.e., the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, is scheduled for June 1st.