IndyCar Stars Blast 'Outdated' 1970s Traffic Rules After Portland Frustrations

While Alex Palou celebrated another commanding victory in Portland, the post-race discussion among his closest challengers quickly shifted from on-track performance to systemic frustration. Second-place finisher Felix Rosenqvist and third-place finisher Will Power launched a joint attack on IndyCar's handling of lapped traffic, calling the series' current rules outdated and highly detrimental to the quality of the racing.

Rosenqvist, who started from pole in the #60 Meyer Shank Racing entry and led 33 laps, ultimately lost the lead to Palou through pit strategy. While the Swede was quick to credit the championship leader's superior pace on primary tires, his main grievance lay with the significant time lost behind backmarkers. Both he and Palou found themselves severely delayed by Louis Foster, who had just exited the pits on fresh rubber.

"From there it was just like a lapped car race," Rosenqvist remarked afterwards. "Sometimes you gain three seconds because of a lap car, the next time you lose three seconds. Without sounding salty—because I don't think I would have won the race anyway—I think it's time for us as a series to grow up and resolve this lapped car situation. It makes us all look stupid."

Rosenqvist argued that losing hard-earned gaps to slower cars undermines the competitive integrity of the sport. "When you work hard and suddenly lose five seconds behind a lapped car, it just isn't right. I don't think any fan wants to see that, and I believe most drivers would agree with me."

Will Power shared those sentiments, having experienced his own traffic nightmare. After a radio miscommunication left him out on fading tires for an extra lap prior to his final pit stop, Power found himself aggressively blocked by Sting Ray Robb. Despite being a lap down, Robb battled Power side-by-side into Turn 10, costing the veteran driver nearly three seconds.

"I completely agree," Power said of Rosenqvist’s comments. "I've been saying this forever. It's ridiculous that we are still operating under a rule from the 1970s just because 'that's the way we've always done it.' The racing is completely different now."

Power went as far as suggesting that if series officials refuse to modernize the blue-flag rules, the grid should take matters into their own hands. "If the series won't do anything, the drivers need to get together and establish a gentlemen's agreement," Power suggested, before mockingly summarizing the administration's stance: "'We don't make the rules, we just keep the ones from the '70s.'"

When asked if they expected the series to address the issue during the upcoming off-season, both drivers expressed deep skepticism.

"Nothing will happen," Rosenqvist predicted.

"It's the same discussion every year," Power added.