SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN TAKES POLE AS INDYCAR SEASON KICKS OFF IN ST. PETE
Scott McLaughlin started the 2026 IndyCar season in the best possible way, taking pole position for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The qualifying session was extremely close, decided by just a few thousandths of a second, and it set the tone for what could be a very intense opening race.
McLaughlin, driving for Team Penske, set a fastest lap of 1:00.542. It was not an easy pole. Marcus Ericsson pushed him all the way and finished only 0.020 seconds behind. Ericsson will start from the front row and showed that he has the speed to fight for the win on race day.
The surprising rookie
The biggest surprise came from rookie Dennis Hauger. In his first weekend in IndyCar, the young Norwegian impressed everyone by qualifying third, just 0.032 seconds slower than McLaughlin. He looked calm and confident, like an experienced driver rather than a newcomer.
Starting next to him on the second row will be reigning champion Alex Palou, who secured fourth place and once again proved he is always competitive.
The top six was completed by David Malukas and Romain Grosjean. Malukas had a strong debut with Team Penske and showed good speed throughout the session. Grosjean also had a very positive day, bringing his Dale Coyne Racing car into the final Fast Six round of qualifying.
Not everyone had a good session. Pato O’Ward narrowly missed out on the final round by just one tenth of a second. He mentioned that the track felt very slippery, which made it difficult to take full advantage of improving conditions.
There were also disappointing results for some big names. Will Power, in his first appearance with a new team, qualified only 13th. Kyle Kirkwood struggled as well. Scott Dixon managed to avoid a spin in the final corner but ended up 16th on the grid.
The biggest shock came from Josef Newgarden. A mistake in the final corners ruined his lap and left him down in 23rd place, meaning he will have a very difficult race ahead.
With such small gaps between drivers and several top names starting further back than usual, the 2026 IndyCar season opener in St. Petersburg is set up for a dramatic and unpredictable race.
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