Newgarden’s press conference regarding his disqualification from the St. Petersburg round definitely answered a number of questions, as well as elicit rather different reactions from his colleagues.
However, it also raised concerns. Colton Herta, who had come second in the latest IndyCar round at Long Beach, mentioned his doubts to reporters following the Penske driver’s media session.
“It’s hard to know what everybody else is doing. I’m not affected by it, I don’t think everybody is a cheater. Maybe it was just a mistake, but it’s hard to think it was a mistake when you keep it in the car in Long Beach and expect to use it again.
“No matter what you say about why it was in the car. By the way, it was in their hybrid car, which is not one of their race cars. What else can you do with that software? Can you make it to where it doesn’t count down your Push to Pass? I don’t know. There’s a lot of unknowns.”
However, the Andretti driver has confidence in the fact that, even if it had actually happened malevolently, there won’t be a second opportunity for them to take advantage of it again:
“Obviously now, I have complete trust nothing will be happening going forward. They’re going to be under such a magnifying glass that it’s going to be hard for them to do anything. It could be an honest mistake. St. Pete could be. It’s hard to believe Long Beach is.”
The young Californian driver also admitted to disagreeing with Newgarden’s stance. The reigning 500 champion had stated multiple times that the blame for the situation was all to be put on his shoulders, whereas in Herta’s opinion it’s the team’s fault.
Nonetheless, he called the two-time champion out and refused to accept his reasons.
“Ultimately, the biggest thing is it’s a Penske mess up. It’s not the driver’s that was in the car. But it is the driver’s fault that they used it, and were going to use it again in Long Beach. They were all fine with it in Long Beach. Nobody said anything.
“I find it hard to believe that anybody would have a hard time feeling an extra 50 horsepower in the car. Any excuse they have is bullshit. You just know the rules, it’s said in every driver’s briefing when overtake is allowed. You know it.”
Herta, in his sixth IndyCar season, was also admittedly puzzled by the fact that the veteran driver wouldn’t remember what has been a standard rule for ages – even if, in Newgarden’s defence, the push to pass rule was actually tested at Thermal.
“He’s driven IndyCar for how long? It’s always been locked out until you get to start / finish. He pushed it 29 times before and it didn’t work, then when it did work… I don’t know, it’s interesting.
“I don’t feel bad at all. I don’t know how you couldn’t know the rules. I just don’t understand that bit, for somebody who’s been in the series for over 10 years.”
Asked if in his opinion Penske could have been using this technology ahead of St. Pete, Herta was on the fence, but ultimately denied a longer history of cheating for the Cherolet-powered team:
“Maybe, there’s a possibility of something like that. It’s tough to say because I think if you were to see them using it in qualifying, they would have poles by bigger margins. Like, they don’t have a pole by seven-tenths or six-tenths, so it’s not, yeah, I don’t really think so.”
He also concluded with a joke on the 25,000$ fines committed by Penske Entertainment following the matter and sent to Team Penske: “Just moves from savings to checking. Yeah, but what are you going to do? It is funny, though.”
