“You know the rule” - Rivals clash over IndyCar push-to-pass saga
- Archie O’Reilly
- 30 minutes ago
- 5 min read
IndyCar drivers were at amicable loggerheads in a Thursday press conference at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway over 12 drivers having used push-to-pass at an unavailable point due to a software glitch during April’s Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Among those to have used the horsepower boost on the Lap 62 restart, when the system was supposed to be unavailable, was race winner and championship leader Álex Palou, who did not shy away from intentionally having pressed the button for 15.1 seconds.
None of the drivers who utilised push-to-pass were penalised, given the burden for the software malfunction was placed on IndyCar.
“I am very surprised that only half of the grid used it. Very surprised,” Palou said ahead of the Indianapolis road course weekend. “I pressed it three times and I’m surprised I didn’t press it more. There’s only three straights. I’m very surprised as well that they [publicly] pinpointed every single car that used it when it was not our fault - it was IndyCar’s fault.”
Sitting beside Palou in the media availability with the current top five in the standings was Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood, who posited that Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) must have had a system to alert them of the incorrect push-to-pass activation by IndyCar.
Palou’s CGR teammate Kyffin Simpson and both Meyer Shank Racing cars - allied with CGR - also used push-to-pass on that particular restart.
“You guys must have an indicator because all your cars used it,” Kirkwood theorised with a grin, to which Palou rebutted that Scott Dixon did not. “I know [Dixon didn’t] but the Shank cars did, you guys did, the No.8 car... [Dixon] must not have seen that indicator.”
After the playful exchange between the leading pair in the championship - Palou leaving it on the note of “oh, okay” to the amusement of his title rival - Kirkwood conceded that he would have done the same as Palou and the 11 other drivers.
“Let’s set the record straight: everybody would have used it if they’d known it was active,” he said. “Every driver would have. I wish I’d known it was on because I would have used it.”
But Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward objected, having consciously not used push-to-pass on the offending caution restart, despite his team realising the malfunction.
“No, false! I got told and didn’t use it. I didn’t use it, no,” he said, to which Kirkwood pushed him for a reason. “Well, because you know the rule, man. That’s the problem why they changed the rule; it’s not explicit that the drivers cannot use it if the software allows.”
But as it was, given push-to-pass was active when it should not have been due to an issue with IndyCar’s coding, the rulebook indicated that drivers would not be penalised.
“The rule is that it won’t be active,” Palou said in a back-and-forth with O’Ward, steadfast in his belief he would not have used push-to-pass when it was not intended to be available. “It doesn’t say you will [get a] penalty. It’s a big difference.
“Somebody in IndyCar f**ks up and it’s my fault? Because if [Felix] Rosenqvist overtakes me and I lose the win, it’s like: ‘Ah, we’re very sorry, we’re going to change the rule now.’”
The exchange was, at no point, particularly tense between rivals but close friends. O’Ward reiterated to Palou: “No, no, I’m not saying it’s your fault. No, no, no. No, I get it. I get it.”
It was also referenced that Team Penske had Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin disqualified from the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in 2024 for using push-to-pass illegally on a restart. In that case, the modifications that allowed for the system to be used when it should not have been available came from a team oversight - not IndyCar.
On that occasion, O’Ward was the beneficiary and inherited Newgarden’s victory.
“The confusion here is very different to what happened two years ago, where somebody else changed the code,” Palou said. “We’re talking about someone not pressing a button or pressing a button - and it’s not on us to know if it’s active or not. I press it…”
From now on, starting with the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, reducing the need for policing, push-to-pass will be available on restarts after the designated restart line. It will remain inactive on race starts but a further update to the rule suggests drivers will now be penalised for using the system should a malfunction occur when it is intended to be disabled.
“Oh, is it?” Palou said when informed of the updated responsibility for drivers. “So at the start, if IndyCar f**ks up again and I press the button, I get penalised? If I push it and it works because someone else does a mistake, it’s my fault? I didn’t read the rule. Sorry.”
The confusion was widespread, with some of the drivers momentarily believing push-to-pass would be active on race starts, only for them not to be allowed to use it. But IndyCar’s moderator confirmed it definitely will not be enabled to use, unless for an error.
“Did anyone read the rule?” I didn’t know that,” Kirkwood said. And Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard chimed in to share the sentiment: “I was reading it earlier and I didn’t read it that way. So you’re saying if IndyCar accidentally leaves it on…”
Palou added, possibly pointedly: “Again. Again, for the second time.”
Opinions were less forthright on the apparently less contentious but probably more pressing matter of push-to-pass now being active on restarts.
“I don’t think it’s going to change much,” Palou said. “It’s just going to be probably everybody is going to use it on restarts now so we’re going to get to the end of the race with a bit less push-to-pass. But it’s the same for everybody so I don’t think it’s going to be a huge deal.
“I’m happy that it’s not enabled for the start because then just too many buttons to press.”
There will naturally be different dimensions to the push-to-pass strategy, given the same amount is available with the same maximum time allowed for each burst but with the risk of being left without the boost on a possible late restart.
“You might want to save it a little bit more and maybe not use it as much on in-and-out laps and trying to overtake people and know that if a restart comes at any point, you need to have it or else you’re going to get passed,” Kirkwood said. “People might be hoarding it a little bit more.”
Team Penske’s David Malukas suggested it may come down to being “a little bit quicker on pressing the button” if drivers opt to save it to dump on restarts, while O’Ward added that “everyone should be a bit closer” which could open up different opportunities to attack.
IndyCar’s stated intention is for the change to provide more overtaking opportunities.
