DETROIT — On the 78th lap of IndyCar’s Detroit Grand Prix, Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin made contact with Andretti Global’s Will Power coming out of Turn 3 of the nine-turn street circuit.
Power went into the wall momentarily, but he managed to keep his car straight. But on the next lap in Turn 3 again, the left rear of Power’s No. 26 Honda made contact with the right front of McLaughlin’s No. 3 Chevrolet. The incident caused damage that ended Power’s day and led to McLaughlin finishing the race four laps behind the lead lap.
Power finished 22nd and McLaughlin finished 19th as Alex Palou won his fourth race of the season.
“Honestly, I was just gonna go to the outside, and he just kept turning in and just basically gave me no option the whole way, no option,” McLaughlin said after the race. “I went beside him, no option. Just turned in the side of me and drove me into the right-side fence.”
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After exiting his car with 21 laps to go, Power did not speak with Fox, as the broadcast caught him on camera telling the TV crew to “(Expletive) off.”
The race ends in another disappointing result for Power in his first season with Andretti Global. The two-time IndyCar champion started the race second, which was his best starting position through eight races this season.
“It was a disappointing race to say the least. We were in a good position there near the end and had a shot at a podium,” Power said in a statement via Andretti Global after he did not speak with reporters. “Unfortunately, the contact caused suspension damage and that was it. It’s frustrating, but I have no doubt that our time on the top step of the podium is coming soon.”
Power, who spent the last five seasons as McLaughlin’s teammate at Team Penske, has just one top-10 finish this year and is in 18th in IndyCar’s championship.
“I didn’t want to do that to him, I didn’t want to do that to my day,” McLaughlin said. “I don’t know, we’ll talk about it. I have so much respect for Will Power. He’s been my teammate for so many years, he helped me so much.
“We’ll talk about it. I regard him as a guy with a lot of respect. But today, I just felt like he gave me no option, and I really didn’t want to see that happen for either of us.”
Power posted on X: “Damn, we were having a great day. Really sorry to Fox and the audience, but #$@&%*!”
McLaughlin added on X: “We had a chat after the race and shook hands. On to the next one.”
McLaughlin followed his podium finish in the Indianapolis 500 with his worst result of the year. Both drivers entered Sunday with expectations to compete for their first win of the year, yet the day ended with both being upset at one another for the incidents.
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: Scott McLaughlin says Will Power gave him ‘no option’ in crash at IndyCar’s Detroit Grand Prix
Reporting by Zion Brown, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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