The president of Team Penske, Jonathan Diuguid, has reacted to the recent sanction imposed on Kevin Estre, one of the drivers of Porsche Penske Motorsport (PPM), following an accident during the race at Road America. Estre has been placed on a two-race probation for his role in the incident with Jack Aitken of Whelen Cadillac.
Diuguid commented that, while considering the sanction to be ‘harsh’, the team accepts the expectations that IMSA has established before the important race that will take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Furthermore, he emphasized that the driver had not been involved in any incident throughout the season until what happened at Road America.
“We have been in continuous communication with IMSA throughout the entire process,” Diuguid explained. “Kevin is an experienced and very professional driver, and he has maintained a clean record up to now. We believe the sanction is excessive, but IMSA has the right to set an example,” he added.
The sanction implies that Estre is on a ‘very thin line’, as indicated by IMSA’s Race Director, Beaux Barfield, who warned that they could suspend him mid-race if he were to be involved in another incident. This situation has led PPM to restructure its driver lineup for the Indianapolis event, incorporating Laurin Heinrich to replace Laurens Vanthoor.
Despite the risks associated with having Estre in the same competitive unit as Heinrich, Diuguid has expressed optimism: “I don’t think this will compromise our championship pursuit. We are confident in Kevin’s ability to handle the situation professionally.”
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_c06d609d88fe001b092b340f8e3f0f186cddf15f