INDIANAPOLIS – Following the post-race technical inspections for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda — driven by 2025 Indy 500 champion Alex Palou — failed the inspection.
Palou’s car was found to have not met the minimum front wing height of 8.3 inches off the ground per Rule 14.7.6.7.1 in IndyCar’s rulebook. The No. 10 car was not disqualified from the race, but Palou lost five entrant points and Chip Ganassi Racing has been fined $10,000. Palou’s finish of seventh in the race stands.
“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. “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 5-point penalty in the championship standings. Chip Ganassi Racing did not attempt to gain an unfair advantage in the race, and accepts this penalty.”
After last year’s Indy 500, Prema Racing’s No. 90 Chevrolet failed a tech inspection due to its front left wing not meeting the minimum height and its endplates, wing flaps and mainplanes not remaining in the designated location. IndyCar also cited Prema for “improper conduct,” due to “attempting to or engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct, unsafe conduct, or conduct detrimental to racing.” Callum Ilott’s car was disqualified and given 33rd.
IndyCar is in the first year of IndyCar Officiating Inc. and the Independent Officiating Board (IOB), with a goal to remain independent from IndyCar and its parent company, Penske Entertainment. After the May 17 qualifying, the cars driven by Caio Collet and Jack Harvey were given post-qualifying penalties for modifications on their Energy Management System covers and forced to start from the back of the grid in the race.
The Indy 500 was the first race IndyCar Officiating had with its managing director of officiating Scot Elkins. Elkins, who sits in on technical inspections, is “kind of like the CEO” of the IOB, per IOB chairman Raj Nair. In Elkins’ first two technical inspections, cars have been given penalties after no cars failed tech inspections through IndyCar’s first five races (and qualifying).
This story has been updated.
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: Alex Palou fails tech inspection. What it means for Indy 500 results
Reporting by Zion Brown, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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