US EditionIndyCar Starting Grid in St. Petersburg: Pole Position, Qualifying Results, Start Time
Scott McLaughlin earned pole position at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, with Marcus Ericsson joining him on the front row for the 100-lap race.
- In qualifying Saturday, Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske posted a 1:01.5426 lap to secure pole for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, reported Feb. 28, 2026.
- After qualifying, officials published the full starting grid based on Saturday's sessions, following the IndyCar schedule 2026 format for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg opener.
- Marcus Ericsson grabbed the other front-row spot alongside Scott McLaughlin for the 100-lap race on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit after tough 2025 seasons.
- Fans can follow coverage starting at noon ET on Fox, with the green flag scheduled for 12:29 p.m., and all coverage available on IndyCar Live and the IndyCar Radio Network.
- Rookie Dennis Hauger showed notable pace, outqualifying Alex Palou by about a tenth, with Romain Grosjean also impressing for Dale Coyne Racing, adding early-season intrigue.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Scott McLaughlin Kicks Off IndyCar Season With Pole, While Dennis Hauger Stuns In St. Pete Qualifying
It's weird to see a qualifying session that somehow made you say, "Yeah, that's about how I expected that to pan out," and also, "Holy crap, what did I just see?" But that was what we got to kick off the 2026 NTT IndyCar season.Let's start with what we may have expected: Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin will lead the field to green in the No. 3 Chevrolet.Last season was tough for Penske and for McLaughlin, as he was the only one of the team's driv…
McLaughlin starts Penske rebound sith St. Pete pole
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.
McLaughlin earns pole for IndyCar opener in St. Petersburg as Grosjean, rookie teammate Hauger make 'Fast Six'
McLaughlin, coming off a winless season in 2025, won his second straight pole on the streets of St. Pete after narrowly beating out Marcus Ericsson for the top spot.
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