Pato O’Ward expressed significant frustration following the revelation that Team Penske’s cars, including Josef Newgarden’s 2024 Indy 500 winning car, had illegal modifications to their rear attenuators. The controversy unfolded during the 2025 Indy 500 Top 12 qualifying session when Newgarden and teammate Will Power’s cars were pulled from the queue due to failing technical inspection for a “body fit violation” on the rear attenuator. Both cars were subsequently relegated to start on the last row of the grid, accompanied by Scott McLaughlin’s car, which had suffered a crash and was cleared of the violation. Alongside starting position penalties, Team Penske faced substantial fines and suspensions of their race strategists for the event.

O’Ward, who qualified third and will start the 109th Indy 500 from the front row, criticized Penske for the blatant breach of regulations, emphasizing that the team did not accidentally violate the rules since they had the tools, including a blowtorch, to modify the component deliberately. He sympathized with drivers like Jacob Abel, who was eliminated in the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ), arguing that the Penske cars should have been sent to the LCQ instead of competing in the Fast 12 qualifying round. O’Ward insisted that the illegal modifications were present during the previous day’s qualifying and should have been detected earlier, which would have given other teams a fair chance to qualify higher.

The paddock was shocked to learn that the same illegal rear attenuator modification was likely present on Newgarden’s 2024 race-winning car, raising questions about the fairness of O’Ward’s loss on the last lap of that race. This revelation intensified O’Ward’s frustration, as he stated he wants to win outright and compete with a legal car, underscoring the injustice of the situation not being caught earlier.

IndyCar officials initially allowed the Penske cars to retain their qualifying times but later moved Newgarden and Power to the back of the 33-car field, fined each car $100,000, suspended their strategists, and stripped them of qualifying points. IndyCar president Doug Boles stressed the importance of maintaining the integrity of the Indianapolis 500 and deemed the sanctions appropriate given the unequivocal breach of regulations. The incident marks the second major infraction involving Team Penske in just over a year, following a 2024 scandal involving illegal “push-to-pass” software.

O’Ward concluded by questioning why a team of Penske’s caliber would resort to such tactics, calling it senseless and damaging to the sport. The scandal has cast a shadow over Team Penske’s dominance and raised concerns about the oversight and enforcement of technical regulations in IndyCar racing.

In summary, Pato O’Ward’s detailed reaction highlights his frustration with Team Penske’s illegal modifications, the timing of their discovery, and the impact on fair competition, especially given his near victory in the previous year’s Indy 500 that was overshadowed by these revelations. He advocates for stricter enforcement to ensure all teams compete on a level playing field.