Scott McLaughlin has expressed his surprise and enthusiasm after learning that Tim Cindric will be his race strategist for the 2026 season in the IndyCar Series. The New Zealand driver did not expect this news and shared his excitement after hearing the decision.
“I was excited, I couldn’t believe this was real. I found out about two hours before everyone else and immediately called Tim to tell him I couldn’t wait to collaborate with him and learn from his experience,” McLaughlin stated.
McLaughlin has acknowledged that much of his current success in IndyCar is due to Cindric, who played an important role in his career even before he arrived in the competition. “I owe as much to him as to Roger Penske for inspiring me to get here,” he added.
Cindric’s reappearance as McLaughlin’s strategist is notable, as eight months ago he was fired from his position as president of Team Penske after a scandal involving illegal modifications to two vehicles during the pre-qualifying of the Indianapolis 500.
Jonathan Diuguid, the new president of Penske Racing, was tasked with communicating the news to McLaughlin. “He told me he wanted to return to the sport and was looking for an opportunity to make a comeback. I think for us, in terms of performance, it was exactly what we needed, so it was an obvious decision,” shared McLaughlin.
Despite his new role with McLaughlin, Cindric has not returned to working with his former driver, Josef Newgarden. McLaughlin calmly addressed the situation, highlighting that, although he doesn’t know if Newgarden wanted Cindric back, he is happy to have him as his strategist.
The 2026 season promises to be exciting for McLaughlin with this new alliance, as he prepares to face the new challenges of IndyCar.
