Kyffin Simpson has been handed a severe six-place grid penalty for the upcoming NTT IndyCar Portland Grand Prix following his incident during the previous race at Laguna Seca.
The penalty stems from avoidable contact that occurred on the opening lap at Turn 6, where the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was involved in a collision with Felix Rosenqvist piloting the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda.
The contact caused both drivers to spin into the gravel, with Simpson forced to retire from the race immediately, preventing any penalty being applied during that event itself.
Following a comprehensive post-race review IndyCar officials determined Simpson to be at fault, citing a breach of Rule 9.3.3 concerning Avoidable Contact.
The rule places the primary responsibility for avoiding contact on the overtaking competitor, with a secondary responsibility on the competitor being overtaken.
The series concluded that Kyffin Simpson failed to demonstrate proper responsibility by initiating a maneuver that led to contact with another competitor, thereby warranting a penalty.
Given that the penalty could not be served at the IndyCar Grand Prix of Monterey due to Simpson’s retirement from the race, the six-place grid penalty is set to be applied at the next event, which is the IndyCar Portland Grand Prix.
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IndyCar Laguna Seca 2025 Race Results
The statement reads: “According to the rulebook, a penalty can be applied at the next IndyCar race if the penalty cannot be served at the event where the infraction took place.
“The penalty comes after a post-race review of the Lap 1, Turn 6 incident with the No. 60 entry of Meyer Shank Racing.
“This penalty, under IndyCar regulations, is consistent with penalties for unapproved engine change-outs a six-position grid drop on road and street courses and a nine-position penalty at oval events.”
The 20-year old driver will therefore drop three rows from where he qualifies on Saturday, affecting his starting position significantly for this weekend’s race at Portland International Raceway.
Kyffin Simpson’s recent form was promising before the Laguna Seca setback. He had secured three top-10 finishes in the five races leading up to the race including his first-ever IndyCar podium which marked a notable milestone in his career.
However, his 27th place finish at the race combined with the penalty looming over the upcoming race, places a dampener on his momentum as the 2025 season approaches its final three races.
The challenging circumstances could affect his ability to capitalize on the remaining opportunities to score valuable championship points.
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