Scott McLaughlin says 'no regrets' for nasty blow-up with Devlin DeFrancesco

Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin recently opened up about his incident with Devlin DeFrancesco during the Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix. McLaughlin explained what caused the crash between the two drivers and the heated conversation that took place between them after the race. In the end, he also shared that he didn't regret going up to Devlin to confront him.

Scott McLaughlin was starting the Grand Prix from the back of the grid in P25, with DeFrancesco right behind him in P26. However, even before they could start the race, the two drivers collided as they were trying to close the gap to the cars ahead, resulting in both drivers spinning off the track during the formation lap.

DeFrancesco, who drives for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, received a drive-through penalty for avoidable contact, while McLaughlin's race was further compromised later in the race by an overheating hybrid system. The Penske driver eventually retired from the race on lap 53.

Scott McLaughlin, being a potential title contender for a top team like Penske, was understandably angry with DeFrancesco. A video clip showing the heated post-race confrontation between the two drivers went viral on social media. When the Penske driver appeared on Conor Daly's podcast on the following Wednesday, he spoke about the incident. Scott McLaughlin shared:

"I'm not afraid of coming forward and saying to someone that they're stupid. But like, I am happy to take it myself too. I went up to Devlin pretty heated, and I was pretty gobsmacked that he came at me even more… which just sort of blew me away a little bit. I think that's what kept me calm... We all know Dev; Dev's a nice guy. Man, he really is a nice guy, nice kid, but yeah, I was pissed off..." (50:15 onwards)

McLaughlin then shared that he has spoken with DeFrancesco, and the two have moved past the incident. However, he also mentioned that he didn't regret what he said to Devlin at the time. He added:

"I don't regret going up and saying what I said to him because, at the end of the day, it was stupid. I think it's good for the sport; you got to have some sort of blowups, but we move forward. And like I said, I do it to... I am just a fiery character from time to time." (52:55 onwards)

McLaughlin currently sits 10th in the 2025 drivers' championship with 41 points under his belt.

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Devlin DeFranceso says he respects Scott McLaughlin

When Scott McLaughlin approached Devlin after the race, the RLL Racing driver argued that the New Zealander had turned into him while exiting Turn 15 and closed the door, which led to the collision. However, McLaughlin explained in the podcast that he sent a text to Devlin after their confrontation.

McLaughlin asked the 25-year-old to talk to him when he was calmer and had reviewed the footage of the incident. After the two drivers had talked things out, DeFrancesco took to Instagram to clarify the situation with the fans and said that he has a lot of respect for Scott McLaughlin. He wrote in his post:

“Definitely not how we wanted today to go. We will keep pushing, and we will be back stronger in Long Beach. Super happy with the pace of the 30 @RLLracing today in race, especially on reds. I also wanted to add, nerves are high after the race. I spoke to @smclaughlin93 afterward and cleared the air. I have nothing but respect for him! Looking forward to putting this behind us and moving forward to Long Beach.”

McLaughlin and DeFrancesco will be back for more racing action in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 13.