Indy 500 penalties: Runner-up Marcus Ericsson, two others face tough consequences for ‘enhanced’ car

Marcus Ericsson, who crossed the finish line second in this year’s Indy 500, has been dropped to 31st place after his car was found to have illegal parts. Post-race inspection revealed unapproved modifications to the Energy Management System (EMS) cover and the mounting points on his No. 28 Andretti Global Honda.

These enhanced parts gave the car a potential aerodynamic advantage, which breaks IndyCar’s technical rules. Ericsson’s teammate, Kyle Kirkwood, also received the same penalty. He had originally finished sixth but was moved to 32nd.

Additionally, Prema Racing’s Callum Ilott, who came in 12th, was dropped to last place, 33rd, after his No. 90 Chevrolet failed to meet the required endplate height. The penalties changed the final results of the 109th running of the Indy 500.

David Malukas was promoted to second place, Pato O’Ward to third, Felix Rosenqvist to fourth, and Santino Ferrucci to fifth. All three penalized drivers lost their prize money and championship points. However, they are allowed to appeal the decision.

IndyCar also fined each team $100,000 for the rule violations. Moreover, the competition managers for each penalized team have been suspended for one race. As such, they will miss the next event in Detroit.

These post-race penalties follow some other controversies in the lead-up to the Indy 500. Just a week earlier, Team Penske faced its own cheating scandal during Sunday’s qualifying session.

Notably, Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing won the race and extended his advantage in the championship standings. It was his first victory on an oval and his first Indy 500 win. He has now won five out of the first six races and is looking set to claim his fourth overall and third consecutive IndyCar title.

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Roger Penske fired three top executives ahead of the 2025 Indy 500

Roger Penske fired three senior leaders from Team Penske just days before the 109th Indy 500. The decision came after two of his cars were found to be illegal during qualifying. Penske removed team president Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski, and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer on Wednesday, May 21.

The firings followed a major rule breach involving drivers Josef Newgarden and Will Power. On Sunday, May 18, both cars were caught in violation of IndyCar Rule 14.7.8.16 during pre-qualifying inspection. The rear attenuator on each car had an unapproved body fit, which is not allowed under the rulebook.

Because of this, Newgarden and Power were disqualified from the Top 12 qualifying session and had to start at the back of the field. Newgarden began the race in 32nd place, while Power started 33rd and last. Roger Penske said he acted to protect the reputation of the sport.

“Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and our race teams,” he said in a statement released by the team.

Will Power, who started the race from last place, eventually crossed the finish line in P19 (later promoted to P16 after the three penalties), a lap down on the race leaders. Josef Newgarden, on the other hand, who was hoping for a third consecutive Indy 500 win, did not finish the race and had to retire the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet on lap 135 due to fuel pressure issues.