Bob Pockrass
FOX Motorsports Insider
INDIANAPOLIS — Three drivers who finished in the top 12 in the Indianapolis 500 — including second-place finisher Marcus Ericsson — were re-positioned to the rear of the finish order Monday for technical violations.
The Andretti Global cars of Marcus Ericsson (second) and Kyle Kirkwood (sixth) and the Prema Racing car of Callum Ilott (12th) all failed post-race inspection.
Each team was fined $100,000 and the team/competition manager for each was suspended for one race.
The Ericsson and Kirkwood penalties were the result of modifications to the Dallara-supplied Energy Management System covers and the mounting points from the covers to A-arms using unapproved spacers and parts.
Ilott’s car failed left side minimum end-plate height.
The teams can appeal the penalties, and Andretti Global in a statement said it would take the first step of the appeals process and ask for a full review from a review facilitator. Ericsson was credited with a 31st-place finish and Kirkwood with a 32nd-place finish.
“The team is reviewing it all,” Ericsson said on the red carpet of the Indy 500 victory celebration. “It’s a very harsh penalty. But if that’s the rules, then that’s the rules. We respect the integrity of the sport.”
Ericsson said he talked with members of his team today after learning about the penalty.
“Everyone is really sad and kind of heartbroken about it because it was a big result for all of us,” Ericsson said. “This is a winner-takes-it-all race and I was heartbroken yesterday how close we were to win it but it still was as great result.
“To get that taken away was pretty tough for all of us.”
Prema Racing won’t appeal the penalty to Ilott, who has now finished 33rd.
“While the same wing was completely original, successfully passed tech multiple times throughout the month, and the issue didn’t lead to any performance gain, the car ended up being non-compliant with the rules at the end of the race, so the team accepts full responsibility,” the team said in a statement.
“The team is currently investigating the root of the problem, which can involve incidents and fitment or production issues. We look forward to implementing the needed procedures to ensure improved control and avoid these kinds of issues in the future.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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