Will Power was left frustrated with Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden after a late incident which saw him crash at Gateway.
The 43-year-old found himself in the wall with just ten laps of the first race since IndyCar‘s summer break to go, after the front of the pack bunched up at the restart.
The dictator of the pace was Josef Newgarden, who waited until the very last moment to accelerate and reduce the effect of any draft behind.
Confusion then unfolded behind, resulting in Alexander Rossi climbing over the back of Power’s car and sending both of them into the wall. Newgarden cited the ambiguous restart rules for the chaos, while Power felt the blame rested on his teammate.
READ MORE: Every IndyCar Series team’s confirmed driver line-up for the 2025 season
Will Power points blame at ‘really late’ Gateway restart
It could prove to be a costly incident for Power, who lost 17 points to championship leader Alex Palou in the race for the title. He now sits 66 points behind, with just four events to go over the next month.
Speaking to NBC Sports, he said: “I think the leader went really late and then checked up, and then someone checked up in front of me and I just got pounded. Man, a tough points night for us.
“He (Newgarden) is supposed to go in between (turns) three and four, but he just waited, then he stopped. Then he waited and then he stopped.
“I knew that was going to happen. I knew when he checked up again and I checked up, I was going to get pounded and that is exactly what happened.
“So disappointing. We had such a good car. We have had really bad luck in the last two races. We will keep fighting and see if we can get the Verizon Chevy up there. That will be pretty tough from here, but I don’t know why. I do not know why they would keep backing it up. It’s just tough.”
Is the championship completely over for Power?
With 50 points up for grabs for the winner of a race, and four of them to go, Power still has an outside shot at taking his third IndyCar crown.
The races between now and the end of the season come thick and fast, meaning that confidence and momentum will play a big factor in who reigns victorious overall.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Will Power from net worth to IndyCar stats
Despite his frustration towards his Penske teammate, Power may need his help if he is to stand any chance of a turnaround.
The upcoming Grand Prix of Portland is the last non-oval race of the year and could be a chance for Power to stamp down some authority by taking his third win of the year.
No other driver has managed to take more than two victories this season, making his task seem ever more difficult as he attempts to fight against the odds and steal the crown from Palou.