Team Penske explain what went wrong in Indy 500 qualifying

Team Penske have explained why they failed a technical inspection during Indy 500 qualifying.

Josef Newgarden and Will Power were set to compete in the Fast 12 section of Sunday’s running.

But they were dramatically both disqualified before they took to the track, and with their rivals already starting their first qualifying runs.

First Team Penske removed the rear wing of Power’s car.

But then IndyCar forbid either car to begin qualifying, failing them in a technical inspection.

“Essentially the #12 car passed inspection,” Tim Cindric explained.

“As the #2 car went through inspection, the officials didn’t like the blend line on the attenuator.

“The #12 car was the same way. There was no reason to run the #12 car because it was the same as the #2 car. And they didn’t like the #2 car.

“I went back to look at the #3 car but it didn’t have that.

“There is a randomness, internally, which we need to sort out.

“My understanding is that the #12 went through inspection but the officials didn’t like the #2.

“When we asked if we could modify or change that before we ran. It was understood, initially, that we might be able to do that.

“If I was one of the competitors I’d have the same argument, that you’re only allowed to change certain things once you pass inspection. Wing angles or tyre pressure. This was outside of what you’re able to do.

“We didn’t do it right.

“There is a seam on the attenuator. We’d filled that seam on evidently some of our attenuators. But on others we hadn't.

“I think it’s an arbitrary thing. I looked at other cars which crashed and it wasn’t like those.

“Once I knew the #2 and the #12 cars were the same, there was no use to put our cars at risk.”

Team Penske cars will begin the Indy 500 on the fourth row, as a result.