Josef Newgarden has publicly addressed the return of Tim Cindric to Team Penske, where Cindric resumed duties as race strategist for Scott McLaughlin ahead of the 2026 IndyCar season. Cindric had previously served as Newgarden’s strategist until the 2025 Indianapolis 500 before being dismissed.
In May of the previous year, Tim Cindric, along with Managing Director Ron Ruzewski and General Manager Kyle Moyer, was fired by team owner Roger Penske following a scandal involving illegal modifications to the rear attenuators on Newgarden’s and Will Power’s cars during Indy 500 qualifying. This incident marked the team’s second controversy within 15 months after the 2024 St. Pete push-to-pass issue.
While Ruzewski and Moyer found positions with Andretti Global and Arrow McLaren respectively, Penske chose to bring Cindric back in a strategizing role, this time guiding McLaughlin’s #3 Chevrolet to a strong start during Practice 1 in St. Petersburg.
Newgarden Discusses Team Dynamics After Cindric’s Return
Speaking during the 2026 season opener at St. Petersburg, Josef Newgarden was asked how having Cindric back on the team—but not in his immediate pit box—affected daily operations. The two-time Indy 500 winner described the situation as largely unchanged.
“Not that different because we’re all on the team together,” the two-time Indy 500 winner replied. “We’re all in the trucks together. So a lot of it feels the same to me. You know, I’m used to having different voices recently. I must have had four or five different voices over the last two years. To me it doesn’t feel that different.”
Cindric’s return coincided with a promising performance from McLaughlin, who topped the charts in the opening practice session and described his car as immediately competitive.
Adjusting to New Strategist Jonathan Diguid for 2026
While Cindric returned as strategist for McLaughlin, Newgarden will be working with a new race strategist this season: Jonathan Diguid. Promoted from his role as director of Porsche Penske Motorsport within IMSA, Diguid now oversees Team Penske’s IndyCar operations and was confirmed as Newgarden’s full-time strategist in January 2026.
Newgarden, who has previously collaborated with Diguid, expressed confidence in the shift and praised the overall strength of the strategists within the organization.
“I think so. I mean, you know, they’re all – I mean, I’ve said this in the past. I think you could plug into any one of these cars at Team Penske, and you would have a great unit around you. It really almost doesn’t matter. Same thing with Travis Law (David Malukas’ strategist). You know, you’re going to take Travis, Tim (Cindric), Johnny (Diguid), or any of these guys around, they’re all solid teams.”
“As I was saying before, I’ve had three or four different people in my ear over the last couple of years, and they’re all pretty good to me. So it’s not really a pick-and-choose type scenario, but I don’t think it’s going to be a hard transition. He’s been on the radio with me before, and I think we’ve got a great group. I come back to that original point, though. You could step into any one of these cars right now, even if we all wanted to switch throughout the weekend, I think we would all be in a good spot. I really mean that,” Josef Newgarden added.
Practice Challenges and Implications for Newgarden’s Campaign
At St. Pete, Newgarden faced setbacks on the track, ending Practice 1 with a spin and crash that limited his running time. He posted the 14th-fastest time during that session and slipped to 20th in Practice 2. As the weekend progressed, prospects for Newgarden making the Fast 6 in qualifying appeared unlikely based on current pace.
Significance and Outlook for Team Penske Moving Forward
Tim Cindric’s reinstatement highlights Roger Penske’s willingness to reintegrate trusted personnel despite recent controversies involving the team. Newgarden’s remarks suggest a resilient mindset amidst ongoing personnel adjustments, reflecting confidence in the depth of strategic expertise within Team Penske.
With Jonathan Diguid stepping into a key role and Scott McLaughlin showing early speed under Cindric’s guidance, Team Penske aims to rebuild momentum following a tumultuous period. How Newgarden adapts to this evolving environment may prove critical to his performance during the 2026 IndyCar season.
