“The outcome could have been a little more favorable” - Josef Newgarden’s St. Petersburg woes explained by Penske insider

Team Penske insider Luke Mason recently explained what went wrong for Josef Newgarden at St. Petersburg. Newgarden witnessed his chase for victory at the season opening St. Petersburg Grand Prix go up in flames despite him being within touching distance of eventual winner Alex Palou and with just two minutes to the end of the race.

The Team Penske driver, who had been closing in on the Spaniard as the Florida race neared its conclusion, not only missed out on a potential win but also lost second place to Scott Dixon in a dramatic final lap.

Reflecting on the unfortunate turn of events, Josef Newgarden attributed the setback to refueling issues and a mis-shift that forced him to engage the emergency gearbox mode.

Speaking to the media, as quoted by The Racer, the 34-year-old stated:

“We had a shift that was unexpected with a lap to go, and we just had to hit the emergency button, which was unfortunate,” Newgarden said.

“We kind of started that last lap like, half-emergency mode, and then they said, you just have to pull the chute here. Like, just finish,” he added.

However, offering further clarity on what transpired in the race, Newgarden’s race engineer, Luke Mason, speaking to The Racer, explained that the two-time IndyCar Series champion was referring to a shift in fuel strategy during his final stint, rather than a gearbox issue, as many had assumed.

“He’s referring to a shift in the fuel error in the final stint, which at the time we thought was what had happened—not an electronics or gearbox shifting issue," Mason said.

“...Unfortunately, it cost us a spot to the No. 9, but we had a gap back to the No. 3, and third is a lot better than running out on track and ending up 21st!” Mason added.

Providing further insight into what happened during the Team Penske driver’s race, Mason continued:

"The new (spec) fuel flow sensors in the car do a good job of being able to see this now opposed to previous years. Unfortunately, if not for this, we don’t get overcut by the No. 10 and the outcome could have been a little more favorable for us!”

Josef Newgarden, who was one of the favorites to seal victory at the Florida race, will hope for a better overall outing when the IndyCar Series heads to Barber Motorsports Park for the Grand Prix of Alabama, the second round of the ongoing season.

Josef Newgarden tipped to rival Alex Palou for IndyCar championship

Josef Newgarden during the INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Source: Getty

Josef Newgarden has been tipped as one of the drivers capable of stopping Alex Palou from securing a three-peat IndyCar Series title this season.

The Team Penske driver has his sights set on clinching his first series title since 2019. The two-time Indy 500 winner is also on course to complete a three-peat at what is often referred to as the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing'

However, Josef Newgarden's quest to win his third IndyCar Series championship will be met with stiff competition from several other contenders, including Andretti Global’s Colton Herta and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward. Only time will tell whether Newgarden will claim the title in 2025.