Dominant Qualifying Performance

Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske will start the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season from pole position after a blistering qualifying run at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. McLaughlin recorded a lap time of 1:00.5426 (107.032 mph) around the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit.

Marcus Ericsson of Andretti Global came close, finishing just 0.0195 seconds behind McLaughlin. Rookie Dennis Hauger, driving for Dale Coyne Racing, surprised many by securing third place, only 0.0317 seconds off the pace. Four-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) qualified fourth, followed by David Malukas (Team Penske) in fifth and Romain Grosjean (Dale Coyne Racing) in sixth.

The Road to the Top Six

The qualifying session saw drama unfold as drivers battled for a spot in the Fast Six. Grosjean initially faced a penalty for an incident in Turn 10, but ultimately advanced with a lap time of 1m00.7452s.

Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward were the first to be eliminated from contention. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson followed, along with Felix Rosenqvist (Meyer Shank Racing) and Christian Lundgaard (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing).

Early Rounds and Surprises

The opening round of qualifying saw unexpected eliminations. Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Global) and Will Power (Team Penske), who crashed earlier in practice, failed to advance. Josef Newgarden (Team Penske) also struggled, finishing last after a mistake in Turn 13 and will start 23rd.

“The sequencing was all off.”

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In the second group, Christian Rasmussen (ECR) and Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) were the first to be eliminated. Alexander Rossi (ECR) ended up in the final spot, securing a 25th-place starting position.

McLaughlin’s Optimism

McLaughlin expressed his satisfaction with the performance, praising his new race engineer, Raul Prados. “Raul [Prados], my new engineer, gave me a great car,” McLaughlin said. “But we have a lot of experience here, with a great car, as well. Just really pumped.” He also acknowledged the challenges of his 2025 season and emphasized his focus on execution for the upcoming race.

McLaughlin added, “Everybody knows the slog we went through last year, so to start on this note is fantastic.” He also stated, “This is one little step. Just really proud of the execution as I felt like we nearly actually missed Q1.”

FAQ

• Who won the pole position for the 2026 IndyCar season opener? Scott McLaughlin.
• What is the lap length of the St. Petersburg street circuit? 1.8 miles.
• Who was the highest-qualifying rookie? Dennis Hauger.