Max Papis announces departure as IndyCar chief steward

Max Papis has confirmed that the 2026 IndyCar season was his final year as chief steward.

The 57-year-old Italian announced his departure via social media, ending an 11-year stint in IndyCar race control. Papis transitioned into officiating following a racing career that included seven Formula 1 starts in 1995, three victories over an 11-year career in IndyCar, and multiple starts across NASCAR's national series in the latter stages of his racing career.

Papis' announcement comes a month after IndyCar confirmed extensions for Independent Officiating Board (IOB) members Ray Evernham, Raj Nair, and Ronan Morgan through the 2027 season covering both IndyCar and Indy NXT.

IndyCar also confirmed that veteran motorsports executive Scot Elkins will remain as Managing Director of Officiating (MDO) for 2027, continuing to oversee race control, the stewards and technical inspection independently without direction from IndyCar or Penske Entertainment Corp.

Announcing his decision to step aside, Papis shared a statement addressed to the racing community:

“This is a PERSONAL message to the entire INDYCAR community.

“2026 will mark my 11th and LAST year as CHIEF STEWARD.

In my career, I never really liked most of the people in my position as I felt they were judging me without knowing what it really means to be strapped in a race car.I took this not as a job but as a PROJECT and worked VERY hard to give good reason to the competitors to change the way they looked at the STEWARD with my goal to be a firm, objective, silent partner to the Garage.

“I did my VERY BEST, even when we had to have tough conversations and had to agree to disagree, to bring accurate, objective facts, data, and videos and make it not about MY own subjective opinion but intervene ONLY when a rule was infringed and when SAFETY and competition were affected with ONLY one GOAL, make what was good for the SPORT and the fans and let the racers be racers and stay aggressive and tough as it is in each of us inner soul.

“I trust I leave the sport that changed my life in a better shape than I found it.

“It has been an HONOUR of my life to contribute to its growth and to bring back the spotlight on the DRIVERS, the real heroes.

“To all the DRIVERS, thank you for your TRUST in me, for the RESPECT you all showed me even when it was not easy but most of all THANK YOU for always making me feel I WAS ONE OF YOU.”

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