In a surprising turn of events, the results from the St. Petersburg race have been updated, altering the championship standings. The initial results had Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden as the winner, with his teammate Scott McLaughlin finishing third. However, a subsequent investigation revealed that McLaughlin had inadvertently used the overtake system on the restarts, resulting in a 10-point penalty. This penalty dropped McLaughlin to 26th place and elevated Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren SP to the race win. Will Power of Team Penske was promoted to second place, and Alexander Rossi of Andretti Autosport moved up to third. The updated results have significantly impacted the championship standings. Newgarden, who was the overall leader after two rounds, has now dropped to 11th place with 34 points. McLaughlin has fallen even further, to 29th place with only five points. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon now assumes the championship lead with 79 points. Following the penalty, McLaughlin released a statement via social media acknowledging the mistake and expressing his commitment to fair play. He stated that he was unaware of the issue with the software and that he did not gain any advantage over his competitors. Despite accepting the penalty, McLaughlin emphasized that he will continue to focus on the task at hand and strive for success through honest means.
Updated Results from St. Petersburg Alter Championship Standings
