The defending IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden faced a critical refueling issue during the final moments of the St. Petersburg race, forcing him to settle for third place behind Alex Palou and Scott Dixon.

Team Penske race engineer Luke Mason revealed that incomplete refueling during the second and third pit stops led to their late-race struggles. The issue was detected by the new spec fuel flow sensors, which provided more accurate data than in previous years.

During the final lap, Newgarden had to switch to an emergency fuel-saving mode, requiring part-throttle lifts and coasting to reach the finish line. While this defensive strategy cost them second place to Dixon's No. 9 car, it prevented a potentially worse outcome of running out of fuel and finishing 21st.

Mason noted that without these refueling complications, Newgarden could have maintained his position and potentially challenged Palou's No. 10 Honda for the win. The team's ability to identify the exact cause through post-race analysis highlights the improved accuracy of IndyCar's new fuel monitoring technology.

The issue had initially been mistaken for a fuel error shift, but further investigation confirmed it was purely a refueling problem during the pit stops. Despite the setback, Team Penske secured a podium finish in challenging circumstances.

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