INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — IndyCar officials have fined Helio Castroneves $30,000 and put him on probation because of critical comments he made on Twitter.
Castroneves, a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, complained about a penalty imposed by race director Brian Barnhart on the final lap at Japan. Barnhart dropped Castroneves from seventh to 22nd place after he made a pass under yellow. The driver acknowledged his maneuver was illegal but said he should’ve received a one-spot penalty.
After the race Castroneves tweeted: “It is sad to see one person being responsible for bringing down an entire series” and “Brian Barnhart is a circus clown!”
League officials say Castroneves can work off the fine by making a series of public appearances for the series. He also can appeal the penalty.
