Power blamed Newgarden for causing a concertina effect on the penultimate restart that resulted in the #12 being rear-ended by McLaren driver Alexander Rossi.
However, IndyCar officials cleared the #2 driver of any wrongdoing and confirmed he maintained 80 mph coming to the green flag.
Power was scathing in his assessment immediately after the crash but four days later has wound back those comments.
“He doesn’t brake-check anybody,” Power told RACER.
“What made that all so bad is that all the restarts had been between Turn 3 and 4, and he was on the front straight, but he did maintain pace.
“It’s just all the little gaps that people try to use to jump close up when you wait so long to go. So the guys, the further back you go, the more they think you’re going the later it gets.
“I knew I was going to get drilled in the back because I thought they were going there for a second.
“And I went a little bit, and you’ll hear me go, and then I’m not, and I actually hit the back of Herta.
“Then Rossi would have thought the same thing, because I was going, and he just kept going and went over the back of me.”
He added, “I was obviously disappointed after the race. Threw a good result away on that.
“But you’ve got to always review what you could have done better yourself, and if I hadn’t created the yellow with Malukas, I wouldn’t have been in the position I was in on the restart.”
Power said he was “mad” about the restart but did not blame Newgarden for going as late as he did.
Two days after the crash, Power said he and Newgarden had cleared the air.
“I was on the boat with him, wake surfing with him,” Power said.
“Myself and Josef are absolutely fine. I’ve been around too long. I don’t stay mad long.”
Power also offered an apology to Meyer Shank Racing’s David Malukas.
The pair made contact at Turn 1 and that caused Malukas to spin and hit the wall.
Power said he initially thought Malukas understeered up into him. However, on watching the replay again the 43-year-old shouldered the blame.
“I called him and said, ‘Man, I actually did squeeze you. I didn’t think I did that. My fault’,” Power explained.
IndyCar continues on August 26 at Portland International Raceway.
Will Power shared his frustration toward the race leader, his teammate Josef Newgarden. #INDYCAR
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— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) August 18, 2024
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