Scott Dixon Faces Potential Disqualification After P2 Finish at St. Petersburg Grand Prix
Scott Dixon experienced a mix of brilliance and frustration during the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which took place on Sunday. Despite executing an impressive run of all 100 laps without any communication with his Chip Ganassi Racing team, he secured a second-place finish. However, there are concerns that he may face disqualification due to a potential violation of Rule 7.4.3.1 from the 2025 IndyCar rulebook.
Understanding the Radio Communication Rule
Rule 7.4.3.1 of the IndyCar regulations states:
“During all on-track Events, radio communication between the Driver and the Entrant’s Pit Box is required at all times.”
Interestingly, Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports has noted that this rule typically applies only to oval races, not road or street courses. However, the official rulebook for 2025 does not specify any exceptions under the Radio Communication category.
Potential Consequences for Dixon’s Performance
If the IndyCar officials decide to investigate Dixon’s situation further, the second-place finish may not hold. The previous year’s St. Petersburg Grand Prix was laden with drama when two Team Penske drivers faced disqualification weeks after the race due to technical violations.
Dixon’s Frustration and Performance Insights
With a history of 20 unsuccessful attempts to win at the bumpy 1.8-mile street circuit, Dixon’s streak of near misses extended to 21 after this latest event. Notably, this marked his fifth second-place finish in the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.
In the aftermath of the race, Dixon reflected on the challenges he faced, describing his ordeal without radio communication:
“It was frustrating. We had no radio,”he remarked. “So kind of just flying blind out there. Ultimately, I think they were trying to call me in because the last lap we had before we pit, there was so much traffic that we lost 2 or 3 seconds. Definitely frustrating. I think we had the speed, and the pit stops were fantastic… It would’ve been nicer to have the radio to know what was going on out there. Kudos to the 10-Car (Alex Palou). But frustrated man, I thought we really had that one, and we came up short.”
Operating without radio communication, Dixon relied on his fuel gauge to determine when to pit. Ultimately, his P2 finish earned him a total of 41 points: 40 for the placement and an additional point for leading the race for five laps.
A Successful Weekend for Chip Ganassi Racing
For Chip Ganassi Racing, the weekend was nearly flawless, as both defending champion Alex Palou and Dixon secured a 1-2 finish, outperforming Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin. Meanwhile, CGR’s third driver, Kyffin Simpson, finished in P18.