In the adrenaline-filled streets of St. Petersburg, the NTT IndyCar Series kicked off with an electrifying race. The quest for pole position was a fierce battle, with drivers pushing the limits to set the swiftest laps. Amidst this high-octane spectacle, it was Scott McLaughlin who found his way to the top, clocking a blisteringly fast lap of 59.4624 seconds.
McLaughlin, fondly known as the Kiwi, has a special connection with this 1.8-mile Florida street course. It was here, in 2022, where he tasted his first victory and pole position. As the green flag waves tomorrow, all eyes will be on him to replicate his past triumphs.
Sharing the front row with McLaughlin will be Colton Herta. Despite demonstrating impressive speed throughout the weekend, Herta fell just 0.177 seconds short of the pole position. However, he’s certainly a contender to watch in tomorrow’s race.
Meyer Shank Racing, with its commendable performance on the bumpy street course, made its presence known. Both drivers advanced to the third and final Fast Six qualifying round, reaffirming their prowess. Felix Rosenqvist secured the third spot on the grid, with Marcus Armstrong right beside him on the second row. Armstrong’s close brush with the wall in Turn 10 was a stark reminder of how far these racers push the boundaries.
Christian Lundgaard, in his debut with Arrow McLaren, impressively snatched the fifth starting spot. The seasoned Scott Dixon followed closely behind in the sixth position. However, notable contenders Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden were unable to progress to the final round, settling for the eighth and 10th starting positions respectively.
Rookie Louis Foster made an impressive debut by securing the 16th position. His strong performance throughout the weekend has certainly turned heads.
The race to the front was decided by the slimmest of margins, highlighting the intense competition. The technical nature of the St. Petersburg course, coupled with the challenges of new tire compounds and a hybrid boost system, meant that even minor errors had significant consequences.
One such casualty was Will Power, the fastest driver who couldn’t progress beyond the first round. His lap time of 59.8752 seconds was just not enough, with a single error pushing him towards the wall and out of the second round.
However, the biggest shock of the afternoon was Pato O’Ward’s poor qualifying performance. The usually consistent driver will start from the 23rd position, having missed progressing to the next round by less than half a second.
Premiering team PREMA had a less than ideal start. Rookie Robert Shwartzman managed to secure the 18th starting position, while veteran Callum Ilott found himself at the bottom, qualifying 27th. Juncos Hollinger Racing also struggled, with Conor Daly and Sting Ray Robb settling for the 22nd and 26th positions respectively.
The excitement is far from over. The 100-lap Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is set to blaze the streets tomorrow at 12:30 PM eastern time. The race will be aired live on FOX for viewers in the US. As the engines roar to life, it promises to be a thrilling spectacle of speed and skill.