Kyle Kirkwood, the 2025 Detroit Grand Prix winner, provided an in-depth perspective on the Scott McLaughlin Detroit GP crash analysis during his appearance on the Speed Street podcast. The incident, which involved McLaughlin and Nolan Siegel on the 1.6-mile street circuit, triggered a heated online dispute between Arrow McLaren’s Tony Kanaan and the Team Penske driver.
Details of the Crash Between McLaughlin and Siegel at Detroit GP
On the lap 18 restart of the Detroit GP, Scott McLaughlin and Nolan Siegel were positioned just outside the top 10 when McLaughlin attempted an overtaking move on Siegel. The maneuver resulted in contact, causing Siegel to spin and drop to the back of the field. As a consequence of causing the collision, McLaughlin received a penalty.
After the race, McLaughlin commented on the crash, indicating that Siegel’s early braking contributed to the accident, while also owning partial responsibility. The incident fueled a response from Tony Kanaan, former IndyCar driver and Arrow McLaren team principal, who voiced his disapproval on X (formerly Twitter), igniting a battle between the two camps.
Kyle Kirkwood’s Perspective on the Crash as an Eyewitness
Kyle Kirkwood joined host Conor Daly on the Speed Street podcast and offered his firsthand account from just behind the two drivers at the time of the collision. Daly noted that he was ahead of Siegel when McLaughlin’s impact caused the crash, remarking on the turbulent reaction that followed across IndyCar’s social media platforms.
Kirkwood explained the contrasting approaches taken by both drivers involved in the crash:
“So I see I see both sides, but like there’s two things that happen in McLaughlin’s situation. There’s one Nolan’s trying to get his tires up. He was one of the guys that were like scared of cold tires and it was sketchy for his car and he couldn’t get anything up.” —Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global driver
“McLaughlin was on the other end of that spectrum. He was like on fire on restarts. I couldn’t catch him and I thought our restart pace was really good. So he’s just instantly attacking as hard as he can. And Nolan’s on the other end where he’s breaking like super early earlier on on a restart, right?” —Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global driver
“But then I also understand that McLaughlin was attacking. He had the pace, he had the grip. And that looked like a racing incident to me,” —Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global driver
Kirkwood’s analysis showed his understanding of both drivers’ mindset, framing the event as a genuine racing incident rather than a deliberate fault.
Kirkwood Secures Key Victory Amid Season Competition
Despite the crash drama, Kyle Kirkwood claimed his second win of the 2025 IndyCar season at the Detroit GP. This victory made him the only other driver aside from Alex Palou to have won a race so far this year.
Alex Palou, the defending champion, opened the season strongly with back-to-back triumphs in the first two races. Kyle Kirkwood then interrupted Palou’s momentum by winning the Long Beach event. Palou responded by securing wins at the Alabama GP, Sonsio GP, and the Indy 500, demonstrating his continued dominance.
However, Palou’s campaign suffered a setback at Detroit when he crashed after contact with David Malukas. Meanwhile, Kirkwood capitalized on his form, leading much of the Detroit street race and sealing a commanding victory.
After seven races, Kirkwood’s success at Detroit confirms him as a key contender and the only driver alongside Palou to have taken top honors this season, highlighting the intense battle for supremacy within IndyCar.
