The David Malukas Chevrolet row that soured the end of IndyCar’s Milwaukee doubleheader has been closed out from both sides, with the manufacturer confirming the failure that cost the Team Penske driver a maiden victory.
Malukas was leading Sunday’s rain-split Race 1 at the Milwaukee Mile when his car hesitated on the final restart with 19 laps to go. Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward pounced into Turn 1 and drove away to the win, leaving Malukas with his fourth runner-up finish of 2026 and the sixth of his career from 78 starts. The 24-year-old told IndyCar Radio that Chevrolet had “let us down”, complaining of repeated plenum events every time he left the pit lane.
The David Malukas Chevrolet statement in full
Chevrolet addressed the fault in a statement issued to Motorsport.com on Tuesday, saying Malukas “experienced an engine sensor issue that led to a plenum event during an upshift on the final restart near the conclusion of Sunday’s race at Milwaukee Mile”.
That followed a public apology from the driver. Posting on Monday morning, Malukas said he was “not proud” of his comments, calling them “childish and speaking out of frustration”, and pushed back at fans who suggested the manufacturer had leaned on him. “No one told me anything. Chevy did own up,” he replied to one, per RACER.
The marque hardly suffered: Chevrolet cars filled the top seven in the day’s second race, which O’Ward also won to become the first IndyCar driver since Rick Mears in 1981 to take two races in a day. The Sunday belonged to Alex Palou, who sealed his fifth IndyCar title, while Mick Schumacher and Romain Grosjean were settling their own contact on pit road. One round remains.
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