IndyCar cracks down on illegal push-to-pass use

IndyCar has revised its rulebook to include language that makes it illegal for drivers to use the 60hp boost provided by the push-to-pass (P2P) button when the system is meant to be disabled.

The rule update comes after the most recent race at Long Beach, where the software that governs P2P failed to turn the system off during a late restart and nearly half of the field exploited the error to their advantage.

A post-race investigation by IndyCar Officiating, Inc (IOI) found 12 of the 25 drivers, including race winner Alex Palou and second-place Felix Rosenqvist, deployed the 60hp during the restart by habit of pressing the button in the hope that it would work while it was intended to be inactive.

Thanks to the error within the system under the care of Race Control, the 12 who pushed the button were rewarded and many of the 12 continued to press and receive multiple 60hp shots during the lap.

Despite the availability of Rule 9.3.1, which offers wide-ranging authority under the guise of improper conduct, IndyCar Officiating elected to take no action against the 12 drivers. A decision was also made to remove the P2P restriction on restarts, which goes into effect during this Saturday’s Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis road course. P2P is not enabled by IndyCar on ovals.

Under the amended P2P policy, its use is only disallowed during the opening lap of road and street races until drivers reach the alternate start/finish line near the end of the lap, at which point it will be turned on and left on until the checkered flag waves.

Moving forward, if another Long Beach-esque P2P disabling error happens and drivers are discovered to have used P2P on the opening lap of the race, an undefined penalty will be assessed.

The only caveat to P2P’s availability after the opening lap is for lapped drivers, as detailed in the new version of Rule 14.19.16 implemented this week which states:

"Push to Pass utilization is prohibited during the following race procedures, On-track conditions and locations: Race Starts, from the engine start command to commence the parade and pace laps, until the Car crosses the alternate start/finish line for the first time after taking the initial green flag; Lapped-Car command blue, when IndyCar orders a command blue to a Lapped-Car per Rule 7.2.5.1.”

IndyCar also added two brand-new items to further enforce the policy with Rule 14.19.17:

“Competitor Responsibility and Prohibited Utilization. IndyCar-controlled Push to Pass is prohibited during the periods identified in Rule 14.19.16 and it is the sole responsibility of the Competitors to ensure that Push to Pass is not utilized during any period where prohibited. Any successful utilization of the Push to Pass during such periods, regardless of IndyCar signal status, is prohibited and subject to penalty per Rule 9.2.2.

And Rule 14.19.18:

“Determination and Enforcement. IndyCar and IOI shall determine any utilization of Push to Pass using any of the following sources: ECU data, timing data, and/or any other available telemetry or electronic data. Any such offending data shall be deemed sufficient evidence of a violation.”

In a press conference held on Thursday, the top five in the championship – Palou, Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas, Pato O’Ward, and Christian Lundgaard – engaged in a lively discussion about the extracurricular P2P usage at Long Beach.Palou (three times for a total of 15.1s) and Malukas (once for 6.0s) were part of the 12 users while Kirkwood, O’Ward, and Lundgaard refrained during the restart. Kirkwood, in particular delighted in prodding Palou, who took a defensive stance in response to his rival’s assertions and might have left the press conference without a full grasp of how the new rule works.

ALEX PALOU: So at the start, if IndyCar ****s up again, and I press the button...

THE MODERATOR: No, it is not on until...

ALEX PALOU: He said, if I push it and it works because someone else does a mistake, it's my fault? Yes? I didn't read the rule. Sorry.

KYLE KIRKWOOD: Did anyone read the rule? I'm sorry.

DAVID MALUKAS: Are we talking about the new rule?

PATO O'WARD: I was reading it earlier, and I didn't read it that way.

ALEX PALOU: He's saying it's inactive. It's not active at the start. We're all on the same page. He's saying if we press it and it works because someone else does a mistake, we get penalized.

PATO O'WARD: That makes sense because you're not supposed to be able to use it until the finish (of the first lap).

ALEX PALOU: I am very surprised that only half of the great used it, very surprised.

KYLE KIRKWOOD: You (Chip Ganassi Racing) guys must have an indicator because all your cars used it.

ALEX PALOU: Not Scott (Dixon).

KYLE KIRKWOOD: He must not have seen it in Indy.

ALEX PALOU: I pressed it three times, and I'm surprised I didn't press it more. It's only three straights (at Long Beach). Yeah, I don't know. I'm very surprised as well that they pinpointed at every single car that used it when it was not our fault, it was IndyCar's fault.

KYLE KIRKWOOD: Let's set the record straight. Everybody would have used it if they'd known it was active. Every driver would have. I wish I'd known it was on. I would have used it.

PATO O'WARD: I got told and didn't use it.

KYLE KIRKWOOD: You didn't use it? No or yes?

PATO O'WARD: I didn't use it.

KYLE KIRKWOOD: Why? You were told it was on.

PATO O'WARD: You know the rule, man.

KYLE KIRKWOOD: What's the rule?

PATO O'WARD: That's the problem (and) why they changed the rule.

ALEX PALOU: The rule said it won't be active. It doesn't say penalty. It's a big difference.

PATO O'WARD: It's not explicit the drivers cannot use it if the software allows.

ALEX PALOU: Someone in IndyCar ****ed up and it's my fault. They're going to say, ‘Oh, we're very sorry, we're going to change the rule now.’

KYLE KIRKWOOD: I get it. I get it.

ALEX PALOU: The confusion here is very different to what happened last year or two years ago (with the Team Penske P2P scandal where only the Penske cars could use P2P when the system was deactivated for the rest of the field). Was it last year or two years ago? Two years ago where somebody else changed the code. 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.