Scott McLaughlin was runner-up at the Indycar Grand Prix in St Petersburg.
Photo: AFP / David Jensen / Getty Images
Kiwi polesitter Scott McLaughlin has clawed his way onto the podium at the Indycar season opener in the United States, but was ultimately defeated by Spain’s Alex Palou.
Four-time defending champion Palou took the victory defeating the New Zealand driver by 12.49 seconds on the St Petersburg street circuit. Christian Lundgaard finished third.
Palou was leading on 59 of 100 laps. With six laps to go McLaughlin’s overtaking skills saw him move up the field in the battle for second with Lundgaard.
McLaughlin was more than pleased with the “good start” for the season, but conceded he’d hoped for more after qualifying at the front of the grid.
McLaughlin secured pole for the season opener at St Petersburg.
Photo: DAVID JENSEN
“Look, Alex was super fast, but you know I think it’s just a mixed bag on what tyre you start on,” he told SkySport.
“Maybe we come back here again and maybe you start on reds, and you just get them out of the way.
“We made the passes we needed to make at the right times, and I thought we maximised our day which is what we needed to do.”
Fellow Kiwi Sir Scott Dixon had a weekend to forget, crashing out in the opening practice when he hit the wall. And in a further setback in today’s Grand Prix he lost a tyre on lap 40 and took no further part in the race.
New Zealand’s Marcus Armstrong was 11th after starting seventh on the grid.
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