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Despite not passing IndyCar's technical inspection after the Indianapolis 500, Alex Palou and the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda were not disqualified from the race. Palou and the car maintained their seventh-place finish in the race, but Palou was penalized five championship points, and the team was fined $10,000.
During the post-race technical inspection, IndyCar Officiating found that the No. 10 car's front wing height was not 8.3 inches off the ground, breaking Rule 14.7.6.7.1 in IndyCar's rulebook. IndyCar determined that the car, which passed the pre-race technical inspection, had its wing height altered by an assembly error rather than an intentional modification. Chip Ganassi Racing accepted Palou's five-point penalty and the fine.
"During technical inspection following Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, a part failure was discovered in the front wing assembly of the No. 10 car," Chip Ganassi Racing said in a statement Sunday night. "The failure caused the wing to fall out of compliance with IndyCar's technical parameters post-race, resulting in a $10,000 fine and a five-point penalty in the championship standings. Chip Ganassi Racing did not attempt to gain an unfair advantage in the race, and accepts this penalty."
Palou remains first in IndyCar's championship, holding a 37-point lead over Team Penske's David Malukas, who crossed the bricks 0.0233 seconds after Felix Rosenqvist (whose Meyer Shank Racing team has a technical alliance with CGR). Palou is chasing his fifth IndyCar championship and fourth in a row.
After last year's Indy 500, Prema Racing's No. 90 Chevrolet — driven by Callum Ilott — was disqualified after failing a post-race after its front left wing failed to meet the minimum endplate height. Ilott, who finished 12th on the track, was given a 33rd-place finish following the disqualification.
The difference between Palou and Ilott's penalties, in IndyCar Officiating's eyes, is intent. CGR's issue resulted in an out-of-tolerance condition resulting from the car's assembly error. A source familiar with the situation told IndyStar that Prema — which hasn't returned to IndyCar after its inaugural season in 2025 — swapped out the No. 90 car's front wing on the grid after passing the pre-race technical inspection. The new wing, which wasn't high enough off the ground, led to Prema receiving an "improper conduct" penalty, which CGR was not assessed.
IndyCar is in the first year of IndyCar Officiating and the Independent Officiating Board (IOB), led by its managing director of officiating (MDO) Scot Elkins. Elkins' first day in the newly created role was May 11, making the Indy 500 his first race in the position. Elkins is seen as the CEO of the IOB and officiating, as he spends races in race control and oversees technical inspections.
Since Elkins began ahead of Indy 500 qualifying, three cars have failed technical inspections. After qualifying, Caio Collet's No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet and Jack Harvey's No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet failed technical inspections due to modifications to their Energy Management System Covers. Those cars were re-racked to the back of the starting grid and received zero points from qualifying.
In the six races (and qualifying sessions) prior to Elkins' onboarding, no cars failed IndyCar Officiating's technical inspections. Now, failed inspections have occurred in consecutive weekends, although the penalty for Palou and CGR wasn't deemed severe enough for a complete disqualification.
Zion Brown is IndyStar's motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar's motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why Alex Palou wasn't disqualified after failing Indy 500 tech inspection
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During the post-race technical inspection, IndyCar Officiating found that the No. 10 car's front wing height was not 8.3 inches off the ground, breaking Rule 14.7.6.7.1 in IndyCar's rulebook. IndyCar determined that the car, which passed the pre-race technical inspection, had its wing height altered by an assembly error rather than an intentional modification. Chip Ganassi Racing accepted Palou's five-point penalty and the fine.
"During technical inspection following Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, a part failure was discovered in the front wing assembly of the No. 10 car," Chip Ganassi Racing said in a statement Sunday night. "The failure caused the wing to fall out of compliance with IndyCar's technical parameters post-race, resulting in a $10,000 fine and a five-point penalty in the championship standings. Chip Ganassi Racing did not attempt to gain an unfair advantage in the race, and accepts this penalty."
Palou remains first in IndyCar's championship, holding a 37-point lead over Team Penske's David Malukas, who crossed the bricks 0.0233 seconds after Felix Rosenqvist (whose Meyer Shank Racing team has a technical alliance with CGR). Palou is chasing his fifth IndyCar championship and fourth in a row.
After last year's Indy 500, Prema Racing's No. 90 Chevrolet — driven by Callum Ilott — was disqualified after failing a post-race after its front left wing failed to meet the minimum endplate height. Ilott, who finished 12th on the track, was given a 33rd-place finish following the disqualification.
The difference between Palou and Ilott's penalties, in IndyCar Officiating's eyes, is intent. CGR's issue resulted in an out-of-tolerance condition resulting from the car's assembly error. A source familiar with the situation told IndyStar that Prema — which hasn't returned to IndyCar after its inaugural season in 2025 — swapped out the No. 90 car's front wing on the grid after passing the pre-race technical inspection. The new wing, which wasn't high enough off the ground, led to Prema receiving an "improper conduct" penalty, which CGR was not assessed.
IndyCar is in the first year of IndyCar Officiating and the Independent Officiating Board (IOB), led by its managing director of officiating (MDO) Scot Elkins. Elkins' first day in the newly created role was May 11, making the Indy 500 his first race in the position. Elkins is seen as the CEO of the IOB and officiating, as he spends races in race control and oversees technical inspections.
Since Elkins began ahead of Indy 500 qualifying, three cars have failed technical inspections. After qualifying, Caio Collet's No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet and Jack Harvey's No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet failed technical inspections due to modifications to their Energy Management System Covers. Those cars were re-racked to the back of the starting grid and received zero points from qualifying.
In the six races (and qualifying sessions) prior to Elkins' onboarding, no cars failed IndyCar Officiating's technical inspections. Now, failed inspections have occurred in consecutive weekends, although the penalty for Palou and CGR wasn't deemed severe enough for a complete disqualification.
Zion Brown is IndyStar's motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar's motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why Alex Palou wasn't disqualified after failing Indy 500 tech inspection
Continue reading...
