Josef ꦫNewgarden has been disqualified and has lost his v💞ictory from last month at St. Petersburg.

Feꦰllow Team Penske driver&🔜nbsp;Scott McLaughlin has also been disqualified.

Both drivers violated IndyCar’s “Push 🐲to Pass” regulation in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, it has been ruled.

Pato O’Ward, as a result, has been named as the retr🥀ospective winner of the race.

Newg🔴arden and McLaughlin gain🐻ed an advantage on restarts, it was ruled.

Will Power was dock🌺ed 10 points but not disqualified because, although he also violated the rule, he did not gain an advantage.

All three drivers were fined $25,000 and for𝓀feit their prize money from the🎉 season-opening race.

Newgarden has dropped from topping the IndyCar standings down to 11t♔h, as a result.

Scott Dixon now leads the standings.

“The integrity of the INDYCAR SERIES championship is critical to⛎ everything we do,” IndyCar president Jay Frye said.

“While the violation went undetected at St. Petersburg, INDYCAR disc☂overed the manipulation during Sunday’s warmup in Long Beach and immediately addressed it ensuring all cars were compliant for the Acura Grand Prix of Long B💜each.

“Beginning with this week’s race at Barber🅘 Motorsports Park, new technical inspection procedures will be in place to deter this violation.”

IndyCar insisted that “Team Penske manipulated th𒉰e overtake system” and their drivers used “Push to Pass on stꦿarts and restarts”.

A statement added: “According to the IndyCar rulebook, use of overtake is not available during champio🎃nship races until the car reaches the alternate start-finish l🥀ine.

“It was determined that (Newgarden) and (McLaughlin) gained a competitive advantage by using Push to Pas𓂃s on restarts while (Power) did not.”

Team Penske co🔥nfirmed they accept the ruling and will not appeal.

Team Penske president Tim Cindric said: “Unfortunately, the push-to-pass 🐻software was not removed as it should have been, following recently completed hy𒅌brid testing in the Team Penske Indy cars.

“This software allowed for push-to-pass to be deployed during restarts at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix race, when it should not have been permitted. The No. 2 car dr🐽iven by Josef Newᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚgarden and the No. 3 car driven by Scott McLaughlin, both deployed push-to-pass on a restart, which violated INDYCAR rules. Team Penske accepts the penalties applied by IndyCar.”