The latest available information from IndyCar in 2025 shows that Scott Dixon, driving the No. 9 Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR), has faced multiple grid penalties throughout the season due to unscheduled or unapproved engine changes that exceeded the allowed limit for Honda engines. IndyCar rules typically permit a set number of engines per season (often around four or five depending on the year and manufacturer allocations), with penalties like grid drops (commonly six or nine positions) applied for changes beyond that limit or without prior approval.

Key incidents include:

In May 2025, following the Indianapolis 500, Dixon received a six-position grid penalty for Detroit due to an unapproved engine change. In July 2025, he was hit with a six-place grid penalty for the Honda Indy Toronto event after another unapproved engine swap. In August 2025, ahead of the Milwaukee Mile race, IndyCar issued penalties to CGR’s Nos. 8 (Kyffin Simpson) and No. 9 (Dixon) entries, with reports indicating nine-place grid drops for unscheduled engine changes. Dixon had qualified strongly in some cases but started further back as a result.

These penalties stemmed from reliability issues or failures forcing early changes, putting CGR Honda teams over their season allotment. Dixon has been vocal about engine challenges in the past, including turning to additional engines earlier in events like the Indy 500 period, which triggered future penalties.

Regarding the Team Penske scandal reference, this likely alludes to the high-profile 2024-2025 issues where Team Penske (owned by series owner Roger Penske) faced violations. In 2024, they were penalized for improper “push-to-pass” usage at the Indy 500, resulting in disqualifications and fines. In 2025, another scandal emerged involving illegal modifications to attenuators (or related components) on cars driven by Josef Newgarden and others, leading to grid demotions to the rear of the field for the Indy 500 and further fallout, including employee dismissals.

Scott Dixon commented on the Penske situations with measured criticism, noting it was “a bad look” given Penske’s ownership of the series, track, and team, and suggesting the need for more independent governance. He emphasized focusing on racing legally himself while acknowledging the perception issues. No major penalties were applied to Penske in some eyes compared to the scrutiny on other teams, fueling discussions of inconsistency.

Dixon’s response to his own penalties has been pragmatic, focusing on execution and moving forward without direct public escalation, though the contrast with Penske’s handling has been noted in paddock conversations and media.

“BAD NEWS” Scott Dixon faces a hefty penalty for his Honda CGR “unplanned engine changes beyond the team’s season limit”. Scott Dixon’s response then silenced the Indycar press after recalling the Team Penske scandal without any penalty.

In the high-stakes world of NTT IndyCar Series racing, where precision engineering meets split-second decisions, few drivers embody consistency like Scott Dixon. The six-time champion, now in his long tenure with Chip Ganassi Racing, has built a legacy on smart strategy and unflappable composure. But the 2025 season has tested even the Iceman’s patience, as a series of engine-related setbacks culminated in yet another significant penalty that has left fans and pundits buzzing about fairness in the paddock.

The latest blow came when IndyCar officials confirmed a hefty grid penalty for Dixon’s No. 9 Honda entry following an unplanned engine change that pushed Chip Ganassi Racing beyond its allocated season limit for manufacturer-supplied power units. Rules governing engine usage are strict to control costs and promote parity: teams are typically restricted to a finite number of engines per campaign, with any unscheduled or unapproved swaps triggering grid drops—often six to nine positions depending on the infraction and timing.

For Dixon, whose season had already seen multiple such changes due to failures or precautionary measures, this latest one carried a particularly steep cost. Qualifying efforts that positioned him near the front were undone, forcing a recovery drive from deeper in the pack in a race where track position is paramount.

The penalty, described by some insiders as “hefty” given its impact on championship aspirations, underscores ongoing reliability woes for Honda-powered teams in certain conditions. Dixon had previously navigated similar issues earlier in the year, including penalties at events like Toronto and post-Indy 500 races, where unapproved changes led to six-place drops. Each time, the team cited factors like premature wear or damage from incidents, but the cumulative effect has mounted. With limited engines available, every unplanned swap risks not just immediate setbacks but a domino effect on future races.

What made this incident particularly noteworthy, however, was Dixon’s post-penalty remarks to the gathered IndyCar media. Rather than venting frustration or issuing a lengthy defense, the New Zealander delivered a concise, pointed response that quickly quieted the room. He drew a direct but subtle parallel to the well-publicized Team Penske scandals that rocked the series in recent seasons. In those cases, the Roger Penske-owned squad faced allegations and confirmed violations—first with push-to-pass system misuse in 2024, then with illegal attenuator modifications in 2025—that resulted in grid demotions, fines, and even personnel changes.

Yet many observers, including rival teams, noted that the penalties, while applied, seemed to some as lenient relative to the profile of the infractions and the ownership ties involved.

Dixon, never one to mince words unnecessarily, recalled those events without naming names outright but making the implication clear. “We’ve seen situations where rules are bent or broken, and the outcomes look different,” he said in essence, highlighting the perceived disparity in enforcement. His measured tone—calm, factual, and laced with the dry wit that has defined his interviews—left little room for follow-up probing. The press corps, expecting perhaps a more heated outburst from a driver whose title hopes were again hampered by mechanical misfortune, found themselves without much to push against.

Dixon’s words hung in the air, a quiet reminder that consistency in officiating remains a sore point for competitors outside the dominant organization.

The contrast is stark. While Penske-affiliated entries navigated their controversies amid ownership complexities—Roger Penske owns both the team and the series—Dixon and Ganassi have absorbed straightforward grid penalties without apparent leniency. The Kiwi driver’s reference served as a subtle call for equity, echoing sentiments from other paddock voices who have questioned whether all teams face the same scrutiny. It wasn’t an accusation, but the recollection alone shifted the narrative from Dixon’s penalty to broader questions of governance.

For Dixon, the focus remains forward. Despite the setbacks, he has shown flashes of his trademark resilience, clawing back positions in races where starting deep seemed insurmountable. The engine woes highlight the razor-thin margins in modern IndyCar, where a single component failure can derail months of preparation. Honda and Ganassi continue working on solutions, but with the season progressing, every point counts in a championship battle that remains fiercely competitive.

As the series heads into its remaining rounds, Dixon’s latest penalty adds another layer to an already intriguing narrative. The “bad news” on the technical side is tempered by his ability to rise above it mentally, using moments like this to underscore larger issues without derailing his own pursuit. In a sport where perception can be as powerful as performance, Scott Dixon’s understated yet sharp response may prove more impactful than any grid drop. It reminds everyone that while engines power the cars, integrity and fairness keep the sport running smoothly—or at least, they should.