‘F***ed my whole session’: Power blasts Palou for dawdling

Palou left the pit lane just as Power began a qualifying simulation during Practice 2 The #2 Team Penske driver was frustrated and claimed the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing pilot dawdled around in front of him.

Post-session, Power was captured confronting Palou in an expletive-laden conversation.

“What the f***? You f***ed me on a new tyre run then you came out of the pits and f***ed me again,” said Power.

“Why? I always move people out of the way. I always get out of the f***ing way for you. You just f***ed my whole session.”

Seemingly bemused by the blow-up, Palou laughed before joking with a member of his Chip Ganassi Racing that he shouldn’t have been on the receiving end of the blast.

Before qualifying, Power explained why he was so frustrated with Palou.

“I went out on new tyres and he came out a lap later in front of me and then stayed there and then spent four laps just going slow, so I had to keep back – backing up, backing up, backing up, which was frustrating,” said Power.

“And then I came in, made a change, went out on a money lap, and they sent him out of the pits again right in front of me, and he didn’t move. He just kept going, and I had to back up again.

“He didn’t have anyone in front of him and it was clear behind me. He could have just backed off, which I always do for him and anyone else if I’m in that position.

“Just a little bit frustrated with that. He said sorry when I walked up because he knew. We’re struggling. We’re trying to get an idea of what our car is doing and if you keep backing up, lose tyre temp, you don’t know. That’s why I was frustrated.”

Power’s fears were realised later that day during qualifying. While Palou went on to take pole position, Power qualified a lowly 22nd behind his teammate Scott McLaughlin.

Neither McLaughlin nor Power made it out of the first leg of qualifying. The third Team Penske entry, Josef Newgarden, was just up the road in 18th.

McLaughlin was disappointed not to make it through to the second leg.

“I was just getting held up. You get into a bad spot, you have to back off, you can’t use the tyre at the right spot,” McLaughlin explained.

“Really bummed for the Odyssey Battery team. I genuinely feel like it should have been easy to transfer there. It’s pretty bad.”

The Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio gets underway on Monday at 3:22am AEST.

Results: Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Qualifying