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The Antipodeans delivered a Penske one-two just days after a furore erupted over the team’s “manipulated” push-to-pass system, the chance discovery of which caused Josef Newgarden and McLaughlin to be scratched from the St Petersburg IndyCar race in which they finished first and third respectively.
McLaughlin is now an official podium finisher in 2024 again, converting pole position into victory in the Alabama Indy Grand Prix, although it was hardly straightforward with Alex Palou threatening to upstage him on strategy and even the order of Cars #3 and #12 briefly changing during the 90 laps.
It was at the second restart, on Lap 49, when Power rounded up the New Zealander at Turn 5, only for McLaughlin to fire down the inside when they next arrived at Turn 1.
Officially, they were battling for 17th at the time and they would probably have had a challenge on their hands to make the top 10 considering which way the Cautions had fallen.
However, when the strategy pendulum swung back towards them once Sting Ray Robb found the wall with 35 laps to go, about five further than a comfortable fuel range, the battle became far more significant.
Power thinks he should have fought harder, although his aggression was tempered by the bombshell which dropped during the week, when he was penalised and his team-mates disqualified because they had in fact deployed the illegal push-to-pass system at an illegal time.
“It was aggressive. It was combative, actually,” he said of racing in the pack after being at the pointy end of the field.
“The thing is, when you’ve been running at the front in very clean air, and hard, you get back there with all that dirty air and how much the car moves around, you’re kind of are not ready for it when it first restarts.
“You’ve got to get used to the car being very much on top of the road again.
“You’re also thinking in your head, ‘Scott and I kind of racing potentially for the win, but we’re in the pack.’ The risk versus reward, you’re kind of trying to decide on.
“I think I wasn’t aggressive enough. I should have worked harder to keep Scott behind. I didn’t block him.
“But, with everything that’s happened this week, I just didn’t want to bloody have two Penske cars off in Turn 1, so I just kind of let it go.
“Yeah, I was happy for the team to get that, though. I was.
“I’ve been around long enough where you actually are happy for the team. You’re not so selfish.”
Power’s other source of disappointment was an off at Turn 5 on Lap 23 which let Christian Lundgaard take second position until #12 jumped #45 in the pits under the second Caution, on Lap 44.
Nevertheless, the two-time IndyCar series winner almost left Barber with the series lead, which he held in live terms until Colton Herta gained two positions in a two-lap dash to the chequered flag and moved one point clear at the top of the table.
“Very pleased with the podium,” said Power.
“Actually, made a little mistake there in the race, went off. It’s very rare for me. I was very disappointed in myself.
“We had such a gap that I came back on – I couldn’t believe it – I only lost one [position].
“I thought, ‘I can get back past Lundgaard.’ Lundgaard was quick, but I knew I had a bit more fuel than him. Just get close to him, go a lap longer.”
Roger Penske himself admitted to being “embarrassed” by the push-to-pass episode, but Power thinks his mood will have improved with the one-two.
“I would say after this week I think Roger would be pretty happy,” ventured the Queenslander.
“I feel like if we’ll be like this every weekend, I think we’ll have a shot if we get it right. Obviously an unbelievably fierce field of very fast drivers.
“It’s very difficult to win multiple races in a season. If you keep knocking on the door and getting podiums week in, week out, you’ll certainly be in the hunt for the championship.”
