"It's round one, dude": Josef Newgarden snaps at reporter when questioned how he was going to beat Alex Palou

Josef Newgarden was in no mood to entertain a reporter's question who asked him how he plans to beat Alex Palou in the 2025 IndyCar season. The American told the reporter that it was just round one and that there is a long way to go in the season.

Josef Newgarden started the St. Petersburg Grand Prix in 10th place while Alex Palou started in 8th. But after the final round of pitstops, it turned out to be a straight competition between the pair for the win.

On lap 83 out of 100, Palou held a five-second lead while Newgarden and the Spaniard's teammate Scott Dixon followed closely behind. The Penske driver slowly began to reel Palou in, and came within half a second of him by lap 93, with Dixon still close behind in third.

Newgarden potentially eyed up a move to overtake Palou in the final stages of the race, but it could not materialize for him as the reigning champion managed to stay ahead the whole time. To rub salt into the wounds, Dixon also overtook Newgarden on the final lap as the American eventually finished in third place.

Finishing third after having such a close chance of winning the race, the 34-year-old was far from pleased after a reporter asked him how he plans to beat Palou in 2025. He snapped at the reporter, telling him it was only the first round of the season.

"I'm sorry, that is an incredible question. It's round one. I know this is your first race here, but it's round one, dude. Let's see how it goes." [via Pit Debrief]

Chip Ganassi Racing rounded off the perfect opening weekend for the team to the 2025 IndyCar season after grabbing a 1-2 late on in the race. Reigning champion Palou has started as he means to continue, in his quest to claim his third drivers' title in a row.

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Josef Newgarden says he is ready for 2025 after first race of the season

Josef Newgarden on the podium after his third place finish at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

After the race in St. Pete, Josef Newgarden shared a video on Instagram and said that he is buzzing to be back with his team for the new IndyCar season. He also mentioned that the team is ready for the season, after a podium finish in the first round.

The American may have missed out on a victory on the streets of St. Petersburg, but he seemed upbeat after the race, in a video he shared via Instagram. He wrote:

"Great to be back with the 2Team. Love the energy - we are ready for 2025. P3 today. 🤘🏻"

In the video, Newgarden shared behind-the-scenes footage of his team during the entirety of the race. It also included the podium celebration, where he sprayed his cameraman with the fizzy stuff during the celebrations, and later on asked if the camera lens was alright.

The two-time IndyCar champion will now look to claim his first win of the season at the Thermal Club Grand Prix in California, scheduled later this month on March 23.