McLaughlin aims to keep drive going after strong St. Petersburg

Written by Natasha Pinto, Edited by Charlotte Mui

Credit: Chris Jones

Behind the dominant Álex Palou, Scott McLaughlin claimed an impressive second-place finish at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg after securing the first pole position of the season. A difficult tyre stint kept the Penske driver from fighting for the win, but was still positive when reflecting on his first race of 2026.

“I thought the black tyre could have probably performed a little better in that first stint, but my car just didn't probably turn that tyre on well enough,” McLaughlin said. “Wanted to pull a gap, but I was also trying to save fuel and make it a two-stop in some ways.”

McLaughlin commended Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing for deciding to start on the alternate tires, as well as for his on-track drive: “They were on the right strategy today, and that's a decision they made compared to us, but I thought we showed plenty of speed. Like I said, we were boxed in.”

Kyle Kirkwood, who exited the pitlane just before McLaughlin and on a fuel save, challenged the New Zealander and Christian Lundgaard for a podium position, but ultimately finished fourth.

Looking back at last season, the No. 3 car ended the championship in the top 10. Making a return to the podium after a long off-season, knowing he maximized the weekend, sets the momentum for the races to come. 

Credit: James Black

St. Pete also tested the new additions and changes to McLaughlin’s timing stand with Tim Cindric as his race strategist and Raul Prados as his engineer.

“[Tim Cindric] is new to me, but that felt like he fit in like a glove for me, like I've known him for so long,” McLaughlin noted as he discussed how Cindric making the right calls at the right time allows him to focus on his driving and what is ahead.

Working with Prados gave him a similar feeling to what he had with his previous engineer, Ben Bretzman, but, with room to adjust: “Raul and me, I think we just missed the balance a little bit, probably being a little bit cautious and not trying to throw away a good car, but it was still decent.”

The next race in Phoenix will put the trust between driver and engineer to the test, as success on an oval hinges on precise decision-making. From qualifying strategy to finely judged wing adjustments, having the confidence to commit to a call could prove decisive.

A positive result and necessary team building for McLaughlin set the standard for his hopes in fighting at the top and progressing towards championship contention as the series heads to Arizona after a long-awaited return.