Andretti Autosport releases statement in response to $25,000 penalty handed by IndyCar

Andretti Autosport has issued a statement in response to the $25,000 penalty handed to them by IndyCar. The Fishers-based outfit was fined days after the conclusion of the Thermal Club Grand Prix.

The penalty stemmed from an incident involving the #26 entry of driver Colton Herta. A post-race inspection of the 24-year-old’s car revealed that its anti-intrusion plates were incorrectly attached, which could have led to a potential safety issue in the event of a crash.

In a statement published by IndyCar detailing the penalty, the series wrote:

“During post-race technical inspection Sunday, IndyCar discovered the team incorrectly attached the anti-intrusion plates on the aft leg of the front lower wishbones by using only one plate per side of the chassis instead of the two per side (a total of four), which were mandated in a Dallara bulletin released Feb. 14, 2025.”

Responding to the sanction issued by the governing body of the American open-wheel racing series, Andretti posted on X (formerly Twitter):

“We have received the penalty notice for car 26 at Thermal and have discussed the findings with IndyCar. While we disagree with the assessment, we accept the penalty and move forward.”

While Andretti has accepted the sanction, the fine did not extend to the driver involved.

Herta himself was excluded from any potential penalty, as the oversight was deemed to be primarily a mistake by the team rather than the driver. As a result, the former Harding Steinbrenner Racing driver retains the 32 points he earned for his fourth-place finish at the Thermal Club Grand Prix.

Andretti’s Herta speaks about Palou’s Thermal club race

Colton Herta at the Thermal Club Indycar circuit - Source: Getty

Andretti Autosport driver Colton Herta spoke about Alex Palou’s result at the Thermal Club Grand Prix. The Chip Ganassi driver finished the California event in first despite qualifying for the race in third.

Herta explained that he expected Palou to win the race after his strong performance in the 2024 edition, which served as an exhibition race.

Speaking in an interview with IndyCar’s official website, the Formula One-linked driver detailed:

“If you look at last year, we kind of circled this one, like I expect him (Palou) to win here.

“In the win-loss column, it's not that big of a hurtful thing now. It sucks to give up that chance of winning St. Pete, but I'm just happy that we're able to fight back. Long Beach is a good place for us.”

Alex Palou appeared to have masterfully executed his victory at the Palm Springs circuit. Despite being behind the Arrow McLaren of Pato O’Ward for about 55 laps, the Chip Ganassi star pulled out a 10-second gap to take the checkered flag at the Grand Prix.

Herta and his team will, however, aim to respond to Palou’s performance at the next race on the IndyCar calendar—the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.