IndyCar slaps four drivers with big grid penalties for Grand Prix of Portland

IndyCar teams and drivers are in Portland, Oregon, for the third-to-last round of the 2025 season. The American open wheel racing series came out ahead of the second practice session at the 1.964-mile circuit and slapped four drivers with grid penalties for the race on Sunday.

The first of the penalties has been awarded to Chip Ganassi Racing star Kyffin Simpson for his collision with Meyer Shank Racing driver Felix Rosenqvist at the previous IndyCar race at Laguna Seca. Simpson followed Rosenqvist into Turn 6 at the Grand Prix of Monterey on Lap 1 when the crash happened.

Both Simpson and Rosenqvist opted for the same line into Turn 6, with everyone around wanting to do the same for a better exit. Cars bunched up, and the CGR driver hit the rear of Rosenqvist's MSR, which sent both drivers spinning into the gravel. Simpson has been awarded a six-place grid penalty for the same incident.

Team Penske's Josef Newgarden, Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard and AJ Foyt Racing's Santino Ferrucci are the latest drivers to receive a grid penalty. The No.2, No.7 and the No.14 Chevrolet took their fifth engine of the season, and the same was changed on the cars.

IndyCar only allows four new engines for a season, and any engines taken above that mark warrant a grid drop. The unapproved engine change has warranted Newgarden, Lundgaard and Ferrucci with a six-place grid drop each.

Lundgaard showcased blistering pace in Practice 1 as he beat Alex Palou to top the timing sheets. However, the grid penalty guarantees that the Arrow McLaren driver will not be starting on the pole position anymore, even if he were to take the top spot in the qualifying later on Saturday.

IndyCar's ruling about Kyffin Simpson’s crash with Felix Rosenqvist that warranted the grid penalty

Kyffin Simpson was deemed to be at fault for the crash with Felix Rosenqvist. While the MSR driver was able to continue racing, the CGR driver had a lot more damage to the car, was not able to continue, and retired after lap 1. As Simpson wasn't able to serve a penalty since he retired, the same carried forward to the next race weekend, i.e., Portland.

IndyCar's statement about the grid penalty read,

“According to the rulebook, a penalty can be applied at the next IndyCar race if the penalty cannot be served at the event where the infraction took place,”

“The penalty comes after a post-race review of the Lap 1, Turn 6 incident with the No. 60 entry of Meyer Shank Racing. Consistent with an Unapproved Engine Change-Out penalty in the IndyCar rulebook, the Avoidable Contact grid penalty is six positions on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event.”

With only three races to go, and Simpson on the brink of the Top 15 of the championship, the grid penalty will be a nuisance for the youngster.