Penske Driver McLaughlin Tops INDYCAR Practice in St. Petersburg

Scott McLaughlin looks to bounce back after a tough 2025 season.

Feb. 27, 2026 at 9:24pm

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Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin topped the opening practice session for the 2026 NTT INDYCAR Series season on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. McLaughlin, who is looking to rebound from a disappointing 2025 campaign, set the fastest lap time in the first official on-track activity of the new season.

Why it matters

McLaughlin and Team Penske are among the top contenders in the INDYCAR Series, so his strong start in practice is an early indication that the team has worked to improve their performance after a down year in 2025. St. Petersburg is a key early-season event that often sets the tone for the rest of the championship fight.

The details

During the first practice session on the 1.8-mile street circuit, McLaughlin posted a fastest lap time of 1 minute, 0.8234 seconds, topping the time charts. The Australian driver is aiming to bounce back after finishing a career-low 11th in the 2025 points standings, well off his 2021 and 2022 seasons where he finished 3rd and 4th respectively.

  • The first official practice session of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR Series season took place on Friday, February 27, 2026.

The players

Scott McLaughlin

A Team Penske driver in the NTT INDYCAR Series, McLaughlin is looking to rebound after a disappointing 2025 season where he finished 11th in the championship.

Team Penske

One of the most successful teams in INDYCAR history, Team Penske fields cars for several top drivers including McLaughlin.

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What they’re saying

“We've worked hard in the offseason to improve our performance and I'm glad to see that work paying off already in practice. This is just the first step, but it's a good start to the new season.”

— Scott McLaughlin, Driver, Team Penske

What’s next

Qualifying for the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will take place on Saturday, February 28, 2026.

The takeaway

McLaughlin and Team Penske appear to have made the necessary improvements over the offseason to contend for the 2026 INDYCAR championship after a down year in 2025, setting the stage for an exciting start to the new season.