The air in the IndyCar paddock has been thick with tension in 2025, and it is not the roar of the engines stirring up the atmosphere. A string of rule violations, disqualifications, and unprecedented penalties has plagued the premier American open-wheel racing series. At the heart of it all was another scandal by Roger Penske’s team ahead of the 109th Indy 500 race; this time, the attenuator modification sent shockwaves across the racing community. The timing couldn’t have been worse for Team Penske as they were getting out of the push-to-pass scandal from last year.
However, with questions being raised on Roger Penske and his involvement as a series and team owner, he took a hard call this time around. The fallout was seismic, with longtime Penske Racing President Tim Cindric, Managing Director Ron Ruzewski, and GM Kyle Moyer all shown the door. “We had three cars with a problem. I own the series, I own the team, and I’m going to fix it,” said owner Roger Penske. Without the independent body in place, even the team owners are taking steps to ensure that they remain within the confines of the rule book. And for the time being, McLaren is leading the way in how they are communicating with their team members.
Why McLaren is drawing a line on rule-bending
The sheer volume of the rule breaches in IndyCar this season has left many team principals on edge. One of Penske’s fiercest rivals in the championship hunt, McLaren’s CEO, Zak Brown, took the moment as a cue to reinforce his team’s internal compass. Adam Stern from the Sports Business Journal posted a tweet on X, stating, “McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has decided his [IndyCar] team needed a ‘whistleblowing hotline’ for his employees to flag when they’ve been asked to do something that ‘isn’t right’.” – @WeAreTheRace”
His decision to establish the hotline exemplified the sense of unease that teams have been having for the past few weeks. As he put it, “What I’ve done with the team, and I’ve reiterated it now, is: here’s how McLaren goes racing, here’s what’s acceptable, here’s what’s not acceptable, and here’s a whistle‑blowing hotline.” The fact that Brown felt compelled to assure staff directly that they could call him or team principal Tony Kanaan goes to show how serious McLaren is about not being involved in a scandal like Team Penske.
Zak Brown did not explicitly hint at McLaren bending the rules, but clarified that occasional mishaps are bound to happen. His remarks underscored the distinction between honest mistakes and deliberate rule-breaking. “And it doesn’t mean you’re not doing a ride-height wrong one day or a wing angle — you are going to make mistakes… But there’s a difference between that and ‘let’s go design, manufacture, build something.’ There is no, ‘I put it in the wrong bowl,’” said Brown. His stance was proactive, as this isn’t an admission of guilt from McLaren. But a clear sign that he wants to prevent any missteps before they happen, especially with the magnitude of scandals seen elsewhere.
“McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has decided his [IndyCar] team needed a ‘whistleblowing hotline’ for his employees to flag when they’ve been asked to do something that ‘isn’t right’.” – @WeAreTheRace https://t.co/RIhRTPlECL
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) June 11, 2025
This move is not just about internal compliance, but a reflection of the growing unease across the IndyCar paddock. The fines and penalties continued after the conclusion of the Indy 500 race. Andretti Global and PREMA Racing found themselves in deep water in the post-race tech inspection. Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood’s race cars had violated Engine Management System protocols, whereas the PREMA Racing entry No. 90 car failed to meet the minimum endplate height. So Brown has reasons to be on his toes to avoid a big controversy.
Beyond internal policing, Brown has emerged as one of the most vocal figures for broader reforms in the sport’s governance and technical oversight. Following the Detroit Grand Prix, he took part in a critical meeting with IndyCar leadership to discuss the need for improved technical inspections and a new race car. “Obviously tech’s the big conversation, so I think we need both a lot more investment in tech and technical inspection,” Brown stated. “We need templates, we need lasers, we need videoing. We need investment in that so you can do a better job looking back, looking forward.”
The hotline initiative is a direct response to this environment, one where trust and ethical boundaries are under intense pressure. He also reinforced the idea that McLaren won’t tolerate systemic cheating, even if other teams may have operated in grayer areas. The initiative not only protects the team’s reputation but also empowers employees to act as custodians of fairness, breaking the culture of silence that may enable unethical practices.
Even though Brown expressed confidence in Roger Penske’s leadership, he was quick to point out the unavoidable issue of perception. “Perception is reality,” he said, acknowledging that any issue involving Team Penske would always fuel speculation due to this dual role. This puts pressure on the series to establish independent regulatory bodies, either by collaborating with established organizations like the FIA or by building something new from the ground up. Brown emphasized that true independence lies in authority, not funding, “It’s more about who can tell them what to do, and as long as whoever can tell them what to do, that body of people are independent, and you need to have some sort of majority, super majority, then I think it doesn’t really matter who pays for it.”
Brown’s criticisms also extend to his fellow team owners, many of whom he accused of double-talking. He noted frustration that some only voice concerns when Roger Penske is not in the room, suggesting a culture of appeasement and fear rather than open dialogue. “I’m disappointed in some of the team owners that when The Captain [Roger Penske] is not around, they say one thing, and when The Captain’s around, they say another,” he said. “And I think that does a disservice, actually, to Roger, because he probably gets conflicting information.”
And his message is clear: real change in IndyCar will require honesty, consistency, and courage from all its stakeholders, not just its leadership. This blunt approach may just serve as a much-needed catalyst for reform.
Team Penske cannot keep their hands clean at the moment
After the Indy 500 debacle, Team Penske bounced back at Nashville Superspeedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. Ryan Blaney bagged his first win of the campaign, and this saw all four Penske drivers advance for the playoffs. Amidst the controversy and noise, this was a perfect reply by the organization, but these celebrations didn’t last long, as they found themselves in deep waters again at yet another marquee motorsport event.
The No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsports entry was disqualified after the first round of qualifying at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car driven by Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, and Matt Campbell was found to be under the minimum weight and wasn’t allowed to the next round of qualifying. This DQ will see them start the crown jewel race at the rear end of the 21-car Hypercar field on Saturday.
“During the hearing, the Team Manager confirmed and accepted the procedure of the scrutineering and the measurements. Consequently, the Stewarts decided to impose the disqualification of car 6 from qualifying session. The car 6 will start at the back of the grid of his category according to Article 10.2.2 of the 2025 24 Hour of Le Mans suplementary regulations.” Stewards released this in a statement.
Vanthoor is one of the three Penske drivers eyeing to become the first to win the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Sebring 12-Hour and the Le Mans in the same season. But, with this ruling, he is stacked against the odds and his team will need a miracle to pull off a win during the 24 hours of racing across Circuit de la Sarthe.
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