IndyCar at St. Petersburg lineup 2025: Starting order & pole winner

Scott McLaughlin took the pole position at the opening round of the 2025 IndyCar Series at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a lap time of 59.4624 on Saturday. The Team Penske driver topped the first session in Group 1 and just managed to get into the fast 6, finishing P6 in the second session.

However, a Hail Mary effort at the very end of the Fast 6 put McLaughlin on pole position for the St. Pete GP. Colton Herta will start alongside him, and Felix Rosenqvist completes the top 3 qualifiers.

Kyle Kirkwood topped the first practice session at St. Pete with a lap time of 01:00.4409 as 2024 champion Alex Palou and 2024 Indy 500 pole sitter Scott McLaughlin rounded up the Top 3. Former F1 driver Marcus Ericsson had a strong showing as well, ending the session in P6.

Scott McLaughlin hit the wall coming out of turn 3, which broke the front left suspension, as the Team Penske driver retired from the session. Nonetheless, the car was ready in time for the second practice session on Saturday, March 1.

Marcus Ericsson stepped up the game and topped the timing sheets during the second practice session. Rinus VeeKay made a surprise entrance, ending the session in P2 with Alex Palou rounding up the Top 3. Colton Herta had a disappointing session ending practice 2 in P20. The PREMA Racing entries of Robert Shwartzman and Callum Ilott finished outside the Top 20.

The Groups were then decided depending on the practice 2 timings with the drivers in the odd finishing positions (1,3,5, etc) in Group 2 and drivers in even finishing positions (2,4,6, etc) in Group 1.

Scott McLaughlin topped the first Indycar session in Group 1 with a lap time of 59.4678. Colton Herta, Nolan Siegel, Josef Newgarden, Christian Lundgaard, and Rinus VeeKay moved into the next session. Will Power and Pato O'Ward were the two big names that failed to move to the second session. Jacob Abel, who’s making his IndyCar debut, finished dead last in Group 1.

Alex Palou topped Group 2 in the first Indycar session with a lap time of 59.6003. Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist, Marcus Ericsson, Marcus Armstrong, and Kyle Kirkwood were the drivers who proceeded to the second session. Both PREMA cars, rookie Louis Foster, and both Juncos Hollinger Racing drivers failed to make it out of the first session.

Colton Herta was the fastest in the second IndyCar session with a 59.5449 lap time and qualified for the Fast Six alongside Christian Lundgaard, Marcus Armstrong, Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist, and Scott McLaughlin. The track, however, got a little slower with the cloud covering the track and the track temperature dropping by a couple of degrees.

The second practice’s fastest driver, Marcus Ericsson, just missed out on the Fastest 6, finishing the IndyCar session in P7. Josef Newgarden and Alex Palou were the other big names who were expected to make the Top 6 but missed out.

The Meyer Shank Racing cars provisionally locked out the front row after the first runs. However, Scott McLaughlin on the No.3 Penske set a blistering lap time of 59.4624 to take the pole position in the final moments.

Colton Herta in the Andretti Global will start alongside McLaughlin in P2. Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Armstrong locked out the second row on the grid. Christian Lundgaard will start P5 and Scott Dixon P6.

Scott McLaughlin on pole position at the 2025 IndyCar Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Scott McLaughlin looked quick during the first practice session, finishing it in P3. However, he crashed midway through the Indycar session, and the car had to be rebuilt overnight. The Team Penske driver didn't seem to be in the groove in second practice as he finished outside the Top 10.

However, McLaughlin delivered when it mattered the most, i.e., the Fast 6, and put the car in pole position. Speaking about the same, the Indycar driver said, (via live stream)

“Just a huge amount of respect and we have so much trust in each other. And they trusted that I could do the job today.”

“I just wanted to get Pole first race of the year. Good vibes, you know. Just great vibes, immaculate vibes. I'm very excited. Great spot to start and we'll do what we can in the race and see how we go,” he added.

Starting Order for the 2025 IndyCar Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

P1 #2 Scott McLaughlin: Team Penske Chevrolet

P2 #26 Colton Herta: Andretti Global Honda

P3 #60 Felix Rosenqvist: Meyer Shank Racing Honda

P4 #66 Marcus Armstrong: Meyer Shank Racing Honda

P5 #7 Christian Lundgaard: Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

P6 #9 Scott Dixon: Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

P7 #28 Marcus Ericsson: Andretti Global Honda

P8 #10 Alex Palou: Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

P9 #27 Kyle Kirkwood: Andretti Global Honda

P10 #2 Josef Newgarden: Team Penske Chevrolet

P11 #6 Nolan Siegel: Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

P12 #18 Rinus VeeKay: Dale Coyne Racing Honda

P13 #12 Will Power: Team Penske Chevrolet

P14 #30 Devlin DeFrancesco: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

P15 #8 Kyffin Simpson: Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

P16 #45 Louis Foster: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

P17 #4 David Malukas: AJ Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet

P18 #83 Robert Shwartzman: PREMA Racing Chevrolet

P19 #14 Santino Ferrucci: AJ Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet

P20 #20 Alexander Rossi: Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet

P21 #15 Graham Rahal: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda

P22 #76 Conor Daly: Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet

P23 #5 Pato O'Ward: Arrow McLaren Chevrolet

P24 #21 Christian Rasmussen: Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet

P25 #51 Jacob Abel: Dale Coyne Racing Honda

P26 # 77: Sting Ray Robb: Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet

P27 #90 Callum Ilott: PREMA Racing Chevrolet