TIM Cindric has secured an unlikely reunion with Team Penske, rejoining the organisation as Scott McLaughlin’s new IndyCar race strategist.

Cindric was fired as Penske president eight months ago in the wake of a technical scandal that engulfed the team’s Indy 500 preparations.

Now, per respected American motorsport publication RACER, he’s back – but no longer in a leadership position or full-time capacity.

“The way I would describe it is, it’s my job to always make sure the best players are going to play,” said Jonathan Diuguid, McLaughlin’s former engineer who is now Team Penske president.

“And Tim’s used that phrase before, as well as Roger (Penske).

“Just because a decision may bring on some difficult conversations, it doesn’t make it the wrong one. Much like everybody else who is going to be surprised by this, I was surprised that Tim reached out, but I was glad that he did.

“We’ve known each other for a long time, and professionally, we didn’t see eye to eye on several occasions, but that that’s going to happen over the period of time that we had, and I think that’s what built the relationship for him to make that call and then be able to have quite an open discussion about what it could be or what it couldn’t be.

“And in the end, it was definitely the right thing for us.”

McLaughlin, whose relationship with Cindric stretches back to his DJR Team Penske Supercars days, expressed excitement about the move.

“This feels like the most incredible gift,” he said.

“I’m tremendously honoured to have Tim with us on the Thirsty 3s.

“He’s achieved so much in this sport already, and to call him part of the Thirsty 3s is kind of weird, but he is one of us and I understand what he’s done for our team for many years.

“Tim is a friend of mine, and now to go into racing and battle with him as a friend, and a guy that’s just completely and utterly focused on me, from a race strategy perspective, to have that focus from a guy that’s got the competitiveness and tenacity to be the best, it’s a huge honour.”

McLaughlin also has a new race engineer for 2026 in Raul Prados.