The president of Team Penske, Jonathan Diuguid, has responded to the sanction imposed by IMSA on Kevin Estre, who is currently under a probation period due to an accident during a recent race. Despite the severity of the penalty, Diuguid states that Porsche Penske Motorsport (PPM) understands the expectations of the competition authorities.
Estre received a two-race probation due to a collision with Jack Aitken from Whelen Cadillac during the race at Road America. Before the upcoming round at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IMSA’s race director, Beaux Barfield, issued a clear warning, indicating they would not hesitate to withdraw Estre from competition if he became involved in a similar incident again.
During a recent roundtable with media, Diuguid commented on the severity of the punishment considering Estre’s good track record so far: ‘We have been in active communication with IMSA throughout the process. I think it’s important to remember that, before the incident at Road America, Kevin had not been responsible for other incidents nor had he received any other penalties.’
Diuguid acknowledged that the sanction is ‘harsh’ and pointed out that, for IMSA, it is a way to send a message. ‘I don’t think it is aimed at Porsche or Kevin specifically, but rather it is IMSA’s prerogative to manage the competition and its objectives,’ he added.
To face this challenge, PPM has restructured its driver lineup and has incorporated Laurin Heinrich alongside Estre in the #6 Porsche 963 for the race at Indianapolis. Heinrich is currently the best-placed Porsche driver in the championship, 118 points behind leader Aitken.
Diuguid attempted to downplay concerns about the impact of associating Heinrich with a driver under probation, stating that Kevin is an experienced professional who knows how to manage each situation responsibly.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
