Scott McLaughlin Opens 2025 IndyCar Season with Pole at St. Petersburg

From being in the fence in practice on Friday (Feb. 28) to pole for Sunday’s (March 2) Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, what a way to start the season and new long-term contract for Scott McLaughlin.

What a difference a day makes for @smclaughlin93. #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/G45txn4hCg

— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) March 1, 2025

Team Penske’s Thirsty Threes claimed the first pole of 2025 on Saturday (March 1) with a speed of 108.653 mph over Andretti Global’s Colton Herta, who missed out with a lap speed of 108.653 mph.

McLaughlin earns his 11th career NTT IndyCar Series pole of his career and second at St. Petersburg. He won in his last start from pole at the track in 2022.

“The guys and girls on this team, they’re stars,” McLaughlin said to FOX. “I had to repay them. I made a silly little mistake there, and I’m glad to come back with them. I just wanted to get pole first race of the year. I’m very excited, great spot to start, and we’ll do what we can in the race and see how we go.”

Firestone Fast Six

Meyer Shank Racing had a fast showing in the Firestone Fast Six, putting both their cars on the second row for tomorrow’s season opener with Felix Rosenqvist beating edging out his new teammate Marcus Armstrong. Armstrong found the wall in the final qualifying session.

Christian Lundgaard was on the top of the pylon briefly for his new team Arrow McLaren, and Scott Dixon, who had a eventful qualifying session overall, rounded out the Fast Six.

Position	Driver	Number	Team	Time
1	Scott McLaughlin	3	Team Penske	59.4624
2	Colton Herta	26	Andretti Global	+0.1769
3	Felix Rosenqvist	60	Meyers Shank Racing	+0.2365
4	Marcus Armstrong	66	Meyers Shank Racing	+0.3654
5	Christian Lundgaard	7	Arrow McLaren	+0.4039
6	Scott Dixon	9	Chip Ganassi Racing	+0.4592

Round 2

Dixon had another set of moments in this session where he almost lost it into turn 1 and had to reset with about two minutes to go and smacked the wall after getting in fourth fastest in the session.

Powerhouse drivers Josef Newgarden, who originally won St. Petersburg last year before the push-to-pass penalty, and back-to-back IndyCar champion Alex Palou failed to advance to the fast six. Newgarden hit the wall as well on his only attempted lap. Palou was fastest of Group 2’s session.

Alex Palou will start 8th on Sunday. He talks with @JamieLittleTV. #INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/JqdQcSUyMf

— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) March 1, 2025

“Just a bit frustrating,” Palou said to FOX. “We had the fast car since practice 1, also Q1. [I] just couldn’t all the pieces together in the Fast 12.”

As in the previous two sessions, there was no incidents.

Position	Driver	Number	Team	Time from Advancing
7	Marcus Ericsson	28	Andretti Global	+0.0038
8	Alex Palou	10	Chip Ganassi Racing	+0.0367
9	Kyle Kirkwood	27	Andretti Global	+0.0495
10	Josef Newgarden	2	Team Penske	+0.1428
11	Nolan Siegel	6	Arrow McLaren	+0.2261
12	Rinus VeeKay	18	Dale Coyne Racing	+0.309

Round 1

Group 1

The first qualifying session of the season had a few surprise exits. Pato O’Ward, who was fifth and eighth fastest in the first and second practice respectively, and Will Power, 10th fastest in first practice were knocked out of qualifying, with Power first out of the session. Power, celebrating his 44th birthday, has the most poles in IndyCar history with nine poles at St. Petersburg.

A stunning start!

Will Power and Pato O'Ward are OUT after Group 1.

📺: #FirestoneGP qualifying on FS1 pic.twitter.com/Bl1so6ybHW

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) March 1, 2025

“You can’t leave anything on the table in this series,” Power told FOX. “It’s going to be an interesting race.”

“I couldn’t get the green tire switched on,” O’Ward said to FOX. “We had two opportunities. I don’t have an explanation. It’s not ideal for tomorrow, but we have our work cut out for us.”

Minus Santino Ferrucci pulling off of the course during the session, there was no stoppages or incidents.

Position	Driver	Number	Team	Time from Advancing
13	Will Power	12	Team Penske	+0.0179
15	Kyffin Simpson	8	Chip Ganassi Racing	+0.1522
17	David Malukas	4	AJ Foyt Enterprises	+0.1555
19	Santino Ferrucci	14	AJ Foyt Enterprises	+0.1568
21	Graham Rahal	15	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	+0.194
23	Pato O’Ward	5	Arrow McLaren	+0.5098
25	Jacob Abel	51	Dale Coyne Racing w/ RWR	+0.9503

Group 2

Dixon kissed the wall twice during his runs, on the frontstretch that affected his opening laps on the black tires but not-so-much on the green soft tire.

Kirkwood, the final transfer of the round, kissed the wall on his fastest lap of the session, enough to get him by Devlin DeFrancesco.

Alexander Rossi snapped loose in turn 1 in his first attempt, and the team couldn’t change to a newer set of greens because of his car almost running out of fuel during the session.

The session had no incidents.

Position	Driver	Number	Team	Time from Advancing
14	Devlin DeFrancesco	30	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	+0.0084
16	Louis Foster	45	Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing	+0.143
18	Robert Shwartzman	83	Prema	+0.3674
20	Alexander Rossi	20	Ed Carpenter Racing	+0.3936
22	Conor Daly	76	Juncos Hollinger Racing	+0.4921
24	Christian Rasmussen	21	Ed Carpenter Racing	+0.5272
26	Sting Ray Robb	77	Juncos Hollinger Racing	+0.7051
27	Calum Ilott	90	Prema	+1.0939

2025 IndyCar Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Qualifying Results

The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will start at noon ET on Sunday, March 2 with coverage provided by FOX.