INDYCAR Statement:
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026) – Scott McLaughlin helped Team Penske put memories of a tough 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season into the rearview mirror Saturday by starting 2026 with the NTT P1 Award for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Photo Courtesy of INDYCAR
New Zealand native McLaughlin earned his 12th career pole and third in the last five years on this 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit, leading the Firestone Fast Six with a best lap of 1 minute, .5426 of a second in the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet.
Team Penske underwent a turbulent 2025 season, marked by the dismissal of three team executives after an illegal modification of a part was discovered before the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The team won just two races, with McLaughlin being shut out of Victory Lane for the first time since his rookie season in 2021.
“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. Everybody knows the slog we went through last year, so to start on this note is fantastic. Bloody good, bloody good.”
Another driver on the comeback trail, 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, will join McLaughlin on the front row of the 100-lap race Sunday (noon ET, FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio, Powered by OnlyBulls) after his best lap of 1:00.5621 in the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda of Andretti Global. Ericsson has finished 15th and 20th in the standings in his first two seasons, respectively, with Andretti Global after three consecutive sixth-place finishes from 2021-23 with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Rookie Dennis Hauger led arguably one of the best performances in the history of Dale Coyne Racing by qualifying a stunning third, leading both DCR cars in the Firestone Fast Six for the first time since 2022. 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone champion Hauger’s best lap was 1:00.5743 in the No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda as he became the first driver to make the Firestone Fast Six in their series debut since Christian Lundgaard in 2021.
Reigning and four-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou will defend his 2025 St. Petersburg victory from the fourth starting position after a best lap of 1:00.6842 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
David Malukas continued a strong debut weekend with Team Penske as one of the team’s two drivers in the Firestone Fast Six. Malukas, who replaced two-time series champion Will Power this offseason at Penske, qualified fifth at 1:00.7638 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.
Romain Grosjean marked his return to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES after a one-year hiatus and his return to Dale Coyne Racing after his 2021 series debut with the team by rounding out the top six at 1:01.3462 in the No. 18 BMax Honda.
Last year’s runner-up in the standings, Pato O’Ward, didn’t advance past the second round of qualifying. He will start eighth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
O’Ward wasn’t the only series star to falter before the Firestone Fast Six. Multiple series champions Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden were eliminated in the first round.
Six-time series champion Dixon will start 16th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing after a slide at the start of his final qualifying lap of the first session. It’s the first time he was eliminated in the opening round of qualifying at this race since 2013.
Two-time series champ and two-time St. Petersburg winner Newgarden will start 23rd in the 25-car field in the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet.
Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg Streets of St. Petersburg
Round 1 1.8 mile(s) Official Results of Session Qualifications
Rank Car Driver Name C/E/T Time Speed Session
1 3 McLaughlin, Scott D/C/F 01:00.5426 107.032 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six
2 28 Ericsson, Marcus D/H/F 01:00.5621 106.998 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six
3 19 Hauger, Dennis (R) D/H/F 01:00.5743 106.976 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six
4 10 Palou, Alex D/H/F 01:00.6842 106.782 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six
5 12 Malukas, David D/C/F 01:00.7638 106.642 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six
6 18 Grosjean, Romain D/H/F 01:01.3462 105.630 Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six
7 66 Armstrong, Marcus D/H/F 01:00.7820 106.611 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12
8 5 O’Ward, Pato D/C/F 01:00.8863 106.428 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12
9 45 Foster, Louis D/H/F 01:00.9472 106.322 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12
10 8 Simpson, Kyffin D/H/F 01:00.9811 106.262 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12
11 60 Rosenqvist, Felix D/H/F 01:00.9840 106.257 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12
12 7 Lundgaard, Christian D/C/F 01:00.9842 106.257 Elimination Round 2 / Top 12
13 26 Power, Will D/H/F 01:01.1936 105.893 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1
14 21 Rasmussen, Christian D/C/F 01:01.1835 105.911 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2
15 27 Kirkwood, Kyle D/H/F 01:01.2308 105.829 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1
16 9 Dixon, Scott D/H/F 01:01.2109 105.863 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2
17 14 Ferrucci, Santino D/C/F 01:01.2630 105.773 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1
18 15 Rahal, Graham D/H/F 01:01.2257 105.838 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2
19 76 VeeKay, Rinus D/C/F 01:01.3719 105.586 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1
20 77 Robb, Sting Ray D/C/F 01:01.3666 105.595 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2
21 47 Schumacher, Mick (R) D/H/F 01:01.3983 105.540 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1
22 6 Siegel, Nolan D/C/F 01:01.4498 105.452 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2
23 2 Newgarden, Josef D/C/F 01:01.4174 105.508 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1
24 4 Collet, Caio (R) D/C/F 01:01.5719 105.243 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2
25 20 Rossi, Alexander D/C/F 01:01.6031 105.190 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2
Local Yellow Turn 10 , Car 18- Laps invalidated: C8 L1
(R) Rookie (C)hassis: D=Dallara | (E)ngine: C=Chevy, H=Honda | (T)ire: F=Firestone
INDY NXT by Firestone Statement:
Taylor Stays Perfect To Claim First Career Pole in St. Pete
Photo Courtesy of INDYCAR
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026) – Max Taylor kept his season-opening weekend in INDY NXT by Firestone perfect by winning the pole Saturday for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Taylor’s first career pole was the exclamation point of an event in which he also has led both practice sessions on the 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit at the start of his first full season in the INDYCAR development series. He claimed the pole at 1 minute, 4.8887 seconds on his final lap during the second group of qualifying in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen machine that Dennis Hauger drove to the 2025 INDY NXT by Firestone championship last season for Andretti.
Connecticut native Taylor, 18, joined Andretti Global full time this season after making six INDY NXT starts last season amid a full campaign in USF Pro 2000.
“First pole position, so I’m over the moon,” Taylor said. “P1 every session this weekend so far, so I’m just excited to keep attacking. I love this car, love this track, and I love my team.”
Up next is the 45-lap race at 10 a.m. ET Sunday (FS1, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio, powered by OnlyBulls).
Rookie Nikita Johnson will start on the front row at his hometown race. Johnson, from St. Petersburg, led the first qualifying group at 1:05.2148 in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR entry.
Andretti Global dominated qualifying, taking three of the first four spots on the starting grid. Besides Taylor on pole, Seb Murray qualified third at 1:05.3912 in the team’s No. 27 Prosperity car, while Lochie Hughes qualified fourth at 1:05.3105 in the No. 26 Andretti Global machine.
Polish rookie Tymek Kucharczyk will start fifth after a top lap of 1:05.4028 in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports car, while Josh Pierson put four Andretti cars in the top six with his lap of 1:05.5975 in the No. 29 Starchive Andretti entry.
Accidents ended the sessions of two drivers who hoped to qualify near the front.
Enzo Fittipaldi, the grandson of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, clipped the wall with his No. 67 HMD Motorsports entry. He will start last in the 24-car field.
Toward the end of the second group, INDY NXT race winner Matteo Nannini hit the barrier twice in an accident that inflicted heavy damage to the front of his No. 20 Enve Motorsports car fielded by Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR. He will start 23rd.
INDY NXT by Firestone GP of St Petersburg
Streets of St. Petersburg
Report: Official Results of Session Session: Qualifications
Rank Car Driver Name C/E/T Time Speed Session
1 28 Taylor, Max D/ /F 01:04.8887 99.863 Qualifications / Group 2
2 21 Johnson, Nikita (R) D/ /F 01:05.2148 99.364 Qualifications / Group 1
3 27 Murray, Seb D/ /F 01:05.3912 99.096 Qualifications / Group 2
4 26 Hughes, Lochie D/ /F 01:05.3105 99.218 Qualifications / Group 1
5 71 Kucharczyk, Tymek (R) D/ /F 01:05.4028 99.078 Qualifications / Group 2
6 29 Pierson, Josh D/ /F 01:05.5975 98.784 Qualifications / Group 1
7 99 Rowe, Myles D/ /F 01:05.5148 98.909 Qualifications / Group 2
8 14 de Tullio, Alessandro (R) D/ /F 01:05.7431 98.565 Qualifications / Group 1
9 68 Correa, JM D/ /F 01:05.5250 98.894 Qualifications / Group 2
10 17 de Alba, Salvador D/ /F 01:05.8327 98.431 Qualifications / Group 1
11 4 Monteiro, Nicholas (R) D/ /F 01:05.9666 98.232 Qualifications / Group 2
12 12 Garcia, Max (R) D/ /F 01:05.9422 98.268 Qualifications / Group 1
13 45 Beeton, Jack (R) D/ /F 01:06.0109 98.166 Qualifications / Group 2
14 76 Escotto, Ricardo D/ /F 01:05.9686 98.229 Qualifications / Group 1
15 10 Koolen, Niels D/ /F 01:06.0688 98.080 Qualifications / Group 2
16 57 Kaminsky, Colin D/ /F 01:06.0586 98.095 Qualifications / Group 1
17 15 Stati, Nicolas (R) D/ /F 01:06.0976 98.037 Qualifications / Group 2
18 48 Missig, Jordan D/ /F 01:06.6690 97.197 Qualifications / Group 1
19 9 Aron, Bryce D/ /F 01:06.1682 97.932 Qualifications / Group 2
20 75 Koreiba, Alexander (R) D/ /F 01:06.8623 96.916 Qualifications / Group 1
21 8 Roe, James D/ /F 01:06.3210 97.707 Qualifications / Group 2
22 11 Etter, Carson (R) D/ /F 01:07.1589 96.488 Qualifications / Group 1
23 20 Nannini, Matteo D/ /F 01:07.0773 96.605 Qualifications / Group 2
24 67 Fittipaldi, Enzo (R) D/ /F 01:14.4654 87.020 Qualifications / Group 1
PENALTY – Loss of Best Lap To This Point with Ability to Advance, Car 67 – Causing A Local Yellow That Affects Another
Competitor (8.3.3). PENALTY – Loss of 2 Fast Laps and not Advance, Car 20 – Qualifications – Causing a Red Flag (8.3.2.1).
(C)hassis: D=Dallara | (T)ire: F=Firestone Tires
INDYCAR
http://www.indycar.com/
Photos & Graphics Courtesy of INDYCAR