Palou keeps Indianapolis finish after part failure; docked five points

INDYCAR penalized Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing after Palou’s No. 10 Honda measured below the 8.300‑inch front‑wing height minimum on INDYCAR’s post‑race inspection fixture following the 110th Indianapolis 500, citing rules 14.7.6.8 and 14.7.6.7.1. INDYCAR fined Chip Ganassi Racing $10,000 and docked five championship points from both Palou and the entrant.

INDYCAR said an assembly error and a part failure — not an intentional modification — caused the noncompliance, so Palou avoided disqualification and his seventh‑place finish stood. Ganassi acknowledged the part failure, said the team did not seek an unfair advantage and accepted the sanction.

The penalty altered the championship standings but did not eliminate Palou’s lead. Palou, the four‑time and reigning INDYCAR champion and the defending Indianapolis 500 winner, started on pole, led a race‑high 59 of 200 laps and finished seventh. He sits on 273 points, 37 points clear of Team Penske’s David Malukas.

The incident occurred in INDYCAR’s first year under INDYCAR Officiating Inc. and the Independent Officiating Board and follows recent enforcement moves, including last year’s disqualification of Prema’s No. 90 driven by Callum Ilott and qualifying penalties issued recently to Caio Collet and Jack Harvey. INDYCAR returns to competition on June 1 in Detroit.