IndyCar star Scott McLaughlin is "Daniel Ricciardo if he never left Red Bull," says Will Buxton

Will Buxton has likened IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin to the prime version of Daniel Ricciardo from when he was driving for Red Bull. In his five-year Red Bull stint, the Aussie driver won seven races and finished third in the drivers' championship twice.

McLaughlin, who is in his fifth full season for Team Penske, has finished third in the IndyCar championship in 2023 and 2024 consecutively and has seven race wins to his name.

Buxton, who ended a seven-year stint as an F1 analyst in 2025 to join FOX's IndyCar team as a play-by-play commentator, compared the Kiwi Scott McLaughlin to his neighbor from down under in an Instagram reel shared in collaboration with IndyCar. He said:

"Scott McLaughlin... is it too easy to say Daniel Ricciardo? But like Daniel Ricciardo if he never left Red Bull... if Daniel Ricciardo was one of the greatest touring car drivers."

Once Ricciardo left Red Bull after the 2018 season, his F1 career derailed. The following two-year stint with Renault only produced two podiums. After joining McLaren, his fortunes worsened. Though he recorded his eighth and final race win at Monza in 2021, he seemed like a changed driver, and not positively. The Honey Badger's return to the Red Bull family in 2023 couldn't revive his career, and he said his final goodbye to F1 after the 2024 Singapore GP.

In contrast to Ricciardo, McLaughlin is going from strength to strength with Team Penske. The No. 3 Chevrolet driver became the 2025 season's first pole-sitter at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Though he couldn't win the race because of a strategic disadvantage, the 33-year-old is considered a title contender this year.

Scott McLaughlin gets 100% real about McLaren's controversial Australian GP team order for Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri at the F1 Grand Prix Of China - Previews - Source: Getty

Scott McLaughlin shared his unfiltered opinion on social media about McLaren's questionable team orders during the season-opening F1 Australian GP. In lap 29, home hero Oscar Piastri, in P2, was on the charge to challenge teammate Lando Norris for the lead.

However, McLaren asked him to 'hold position'. He was unhappy with the decision and responded, saying, "I'm faster but OK." Eventually, Norris won the wet race after leading nearly all laps, while a costly incident in lap 44 saw Piastri drop down the order, but recover well to finish in P9.

McLaughlin shared his reaction on social media platform X.

"Great for Lando, but feel for OP. Home race getting told to hold pozzy, bit rich, first race of the year. I would’ve unplugged the radio, sorry @benbretzman," he wrote, tagging his IndyCar engineer in jest.

This weekend from March 21 to 23 will be a treat for racing fans with both IndyCar and F1 races scheduled. IndyCar will head to California for the inaugural Thermal Club GP, while F1 will go northward from Australia into Asia for the Chinese GP.