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Running It Straight: 6pm TuesdaysKiwi McLaughlin claims second in IndyCar season-opener
Sport Nation •  March 2nd, 2026 9:17 am
Scott McLaughlin | Photo: Photosport
Scott McLaughlin has launched his IndyCar season with a polished podium, converting pole position into second place at the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg on Monday (NZ time).
The Kiwi led early but had no answer for reigning champion Alex Palou, who powered away after the final pit cycle to win by nearly 13 seconds and claim back-to-back victories in the season opener.
It marked Palou’s 20th career win and underlined his dominance after last year’s record-breaking title.
McLaughlin briefly reclaimed the lead late before his final stop dropped him back into traffic. He recovered strongly, passing Kyle Kirkwood with six laps remaining and then holding off a charging Christian Lundgaard to secure second.
"Alex was super fast but I think it’s just a mixed bag on what tyre you start on," McLaughlin told Fox Sports.
"Maybe we come back here and maybe you start on reds [softs] and get them out of the way. Overall, [we] made the passes that we needed to go make and the right times.
"I thought we maximised our day and that’s all we needed to do."
Marcus Armstrong finished 11th after running as high as third, while Scott Dixon’s race ended early when a loose right-rear wheel forced the veteran to retire while leading.
