IndyCar racing has become predictable in two ways over the past couple years: Alex Palou will win, and controversy will erupt, whether over officiating or the series-mandated spec hybrid system that dates to mid-2024.
Palou made one step closer to a fifth title by extending his lead in the 2026 standings with a convincing victory in the Detroit Grand Prix over the closest thing he has to a rival in Kyle Kirkwood.
There’s not much more to say about Palou’s ability to extract speed and tyre life from the latest breed of overweight, tail-heavy Dallara spec cars. The Spaniard has won 12 of 25 races since the start of 2025 and he plus his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing team led by Barry Wanser are almost always able to correctly react to whatever situation presents itself.
The same can’t always be said for IndyCar, which is working hard to regain credibility for its technical inspection and officiating arms after a pair of rule-bending scandals involving the team that is also owned by the lord of the series, Roger Penske.
IndyCar created a three-man Independent Officiating Board in December 2025, and in May, the IOB confirmed respected ex-IMSA and FIA official Scott Elkins as its Managing Director. Though well-travelled, Elkins carries real credibility, given his extensive experience and mentorship from longtime Formula 1 Race Director Charlie Whiting.
Elkins onboarded to his new role on 11 May, and just five days later during the race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course, a firestorm erupted when Alex Rossi’s car stopped with a hybrid system failure near the start/finish line. A local yellow was displayed, but IndyCar was tardy in declaring a full-course caution.
Rossi endured a smoky end to his Indy 500 this year
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Lumen via Getty Images
Rossi was furious, correctly believing he was left sitting in a dangerous position with cars whizzing by at 170mph, while officials waited for an opportune moment to throw a yellow that would minimally impact pitstop windows for competitors.
Just a day later, IndyCar and IndyCar Officiating confirmed what was long believed to be true – that pitstop windows had been an important factor, perhaps sometimes overriding safety, in bringing out the Pace Car. A statement read: “Effective immediately, INDYCAR Officiating will no longer take into consideration pit windows and the running order of cars on track before deploying a FCY.”
The IOB’s chief Raj Nair added: “Streamlining the assessment will also save time as competitive considerations are no longer a factor.”
“The last two yellows we had, the incident cleared within seconds. I just think there’s got to be a middle ground to not ruin the race for people based on something that doesn’t need to be a full-course yellow” Bryan Herta
These calls have always been situational and circumstantial, but unfortunately for IndyCar, in recent years, they’ve occasionally got it wrong. Even worse, the Penske team benefitted a time or two – hence the need to create a separation between church and state. Still, it’s a slow process, and the appointment of Elkins was the result of a six-month process.
“I think it’s going to work really well,” Elkins said on 15 May. “As the board and everybody has said many times, things are not broken. We just need to make some adjustments into how we operate and how we communicate, and how transparent we are. Those are the biggest targets we have, as IndyCar Officiating.”
It’s a tricky tightrope. The Detroit GP was IndyCar’s first opportunity in a road racing environment to throw caution at the first hint of trouble rather than reserving judgement. At least one well-qualified observant Bryan Herta thought officials were a little trigger-happy with the yellow. Herta’s driver Kirkwood, leading at the time, rallied to finish second behind Palou.
Kirkwood is firmly IndyCar’s second best this year
Photo by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen via Getty Images
Leader Palou made his final pitstop on lap 64 of 100, but the pursuing Kirkwood was caught out when Santino Ferrucci spun out Rinus Veekay a minute or so later. Though both cars regrouped and continued, the full-course caution flew, and Kirkwood was stuck in what U.S. TV commentator Townsend Bell cheesingly calls the ‘Danger Zone’.
It’s almost a no-win situation for the officials, but in the wake of the scary-looking Rossi situation at Indianapolis, IndyCar had to err on the side of – pardon the pun – caution.
“I know IndyCar said now we’re just going to go yellow as soon as a hot dog wrapper blows on the track,” groused Herta. “But it turns the race to something that isn’t based on merit. I don’t love that.
“The last two yellows we had, the incident cleared within seconds. I just think there’s got to be a middle ground to not ruin the race for people based on something that doesn’t need to be a full-course yellow.”
While Herta was being interviewed by Jack Harvey for Fox television, Scott Dixon quietly dropped out of the race. He minced no words a few minutes later in his own TV interview. “Another joyous hybrid failure,” Dixon said. “With the alarm you get now, if you keep driving, you’ve got to buy the system. I don’t think anybody wants to buy these.”
It’s a popular sentiment. When Rossi was stranded helpless near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Yard of Bricks in the Indy road course race with a hybrid failure in his Chevrolet-powered Dallara IR18, he sardonically quipped, “Thanks, Honda” – referring to Honda’s heavy-handed pressure in pushing through hybrid regulations in an effort to create a relevancy between street cars and racing.
What constitutes an FCY and what doesn’t? That’s a big debate in IndyCar right now
Photo by: Penske Entertainment
Ironically, Honda recently debuted a new 30-second ‘Relentless Spirit’ U.S. TV spot promoting its hybrid technology developed in IMSA and IndyCar…
Meanwhile, ‘Drive To Survive’ pundit-turned-lead U.S. IndyCar TV commentator Will Buxton recently encouraged IndyCar to put a wheel under Formula 1 by abandoning its turbo V6 hybrids in favour of pure racing V8s. It’s a fanciful idea.
There’s an increasing divide in motor racing between traditional and electrified. For now, IndyCar has committed to a turbo V6 hybrid future, but it’s also increasingly clear that the hybrid element being pushed so hard by Honda is not especially popular with all constituencies in the paddock.
Next up for IndyCar is Illinois this week, where Palou arrives with a 62-point championship lead
Photo by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen via Getty Images
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