Scott McLaughlin kicked off the 2026 IndyCar season by securing pole position for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a remarkable lap time of 1:00.5426 on February 28. Driving for Team Penske Chevrolet, the Kiwi driver earned his 11th NTT IndyCar Series pole, continuing the momentum from his 2025 season start at the same venue.
In an intense qualifying session on the streets of St. Petersburg, McLaughlin’s performance outpaced Marcus Ericsson of Andretti Global Honda, who is aiming to rebound after a difficult 2025 campaign. Ericsson, driving the No. 28 car, will join McLaughlin’s No. 3 on the front row for Sunday’s race.
Raul [Prados], my new engineer, he’s a good man,
McLaughlin said.
He gave me a great car, but we’ve had a lot of experience here with a great car as well. Just really pumped. Obviously, everyone knows the slog that we went through last year. So, just to start it on this note with DEX and all our partners is fantastic. Bloody good! Bloody good!
Strong Showings from Dale Coyne Racing in Fast Six
Dale Coyne Racing made an impressive return to the Firestone Fast Six, a feat not seen since 2022 at Detroit, with both Dennis Hauger and Romain Grosjean advancing. Hauger was the standout, clinching an unexpected third starting position, while Grosjean, making his season debut, took the sixth spot.
After the session, both drivers shared their thoughts on their performances. Hauger expressed a realistic approach to qualifying success, emphasizing a team effort and satisfaction with the outcome.
I just wanted to go in with the same mindset I had last and do as well as I can,
Hauger remarked.
I’m going to do as well as I can, and if that’s a P1, that’s a P1. If it’s a P12, it’s 12th. I think I maximized what I had and worked well with the team to achieve it. Super happy, and good start to the season.
Grosjean acknowledged the challenges of joining Andretti on a street course and adapted to shifting conditions that ultimately aided the team’s competitiveness.
When you join Andretti on the street course, you know you have a fantastic car,
Grosjean said.
Pole is really what you’re targeting. This weekend, there was a bit more work going on, and I didn’t know if we were going to be competitive or not. The conditions changed quite a bit. That helped us.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s reigning champion Alex Palou secured fourth place, demonstrating consistency as the defending St. Petersburg victor. Meanwhile, David Malukas impressed in his first outing with Team Penske, earning a solid fifth-place starting position.
Qualifying Round Two Results and Notable Performances
The second round featured a fierce contest for the Firestone Fast Six spots, but some drivers narrowly missed advancing. Marcus Armstrong failed to progress beyond seventh place, edged out by Hauger’s strong time. Armstrong joined Meyer Shank Racing teammate Felix Rosenqvist, who also fell short in seventh.
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward was the highest qualifier for his team, starting eighth, followed by Louis Foster of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in ninth and Kyffin Simpson for Chip Ganassi Racing rounding out the top ten.
Unexpected Exits in First Round Qualifying
The opening round of qualifying saw a surprising result with Marcus Ericsson leading the group 1 times at 1:00.8257 seconds. However, his fellow Andretti teammates Will Power and Kyle Kirkwood failed to advance, with their lap times not matching rival Felix Rosenqvist’s 1:01.124, which kept him moving forward while they were eliminated.
Rinus VeeKay displayed strong pace during earlier practices but was unexpectedly knocked out in the first round, relegating him to start near the back of the grid.
Josef Newgarden’s session was hampered by brake complications, resulting in the slowest time in his group and an early exit from qualifying.
“The sequencing was all off.”
? Josef Newgarden
Challenges in Group Two Qualifying for Scott Dixon and Others
Scott Dixon, the six-time series champion, encountered difficulties after a crash in practice the day before. Though he initially looked poised to advance in group two, a missed transfer point at turn 10 forced him to settle for 16th place. This marks the first time since 2013 that Dixon failed to reach the second qualifying round at St. Petersburg, adding pressure ahead of the race.
Christian Rasmussen demonstrated competitive speed but narrowly missed qualifying for the next stage by just over one-hundredth of a second. David Malukas excelled in this group, leading the times with a 1:00.5799 lap.
Setting the Stage for Sunday’s Race
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will commence on March 1 at noon Eastern Time, with television coverage provided by FOX. The qualifying results have set up a fiercely competitive field, with Scott McLaughlin and Team Penske Chevrolet showing early dominance, but numerous challengers eager to disrupt the front runners.
The stakes are high for key figures such as McLaughlin, Ericsson, and defending champion Alex Palou, while other drivers face the pressure of recovering from unexpected setbacks. The outcomes at the season opener will have significant implications for the momentum and morale of drivers and teams as the 2026 IndyCar Series advances.
The first INDYCAR qualifying session of 2026 goes to Scott McLaughlin and and the No. 3 Penske crew! pic.twitter.com/wNSSCb7rxe
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) February 28, 2026
"The sequencing was all off."- Josef Newgarden fails to advance to Round 2 of INDYCAR qualifying in St. Pete pic.twitter.com/ZtTyqAY50Y
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) February 28, 2026
