Alex Palou has won the last three NTT IndyCar Series championships and if Sunday’s race is any indication it looks like he again will be the driver to beat in 2026.
Palou took the lead during pitstops and never looked back winning by 12.4 seconds over polesitter Scott McLaughlin. Palou led 59 of the 100 laps in the race with McLaughlin’s 34 being the second most.
Christian Lundgaard, Kyle Kirkwood, and Pato O’Ward rounded out the top-five. The race got off to a rough start when Sting Ray Robb overcooked the breaks eliminating Santino Ferrucci and Mick Schumacher from the race before even the first lap could be completed.
Later issues would end the day of Scott Dixon while Will Power’s debut with Andretti Global went awry after he hit the wall in turn 10.
IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Results
March 1, 2026
|
POSITION
|
START
|
LED
|
BEHIND
|
PTS
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
A. Palou
|
4
|
59
|
Winner
|
–
|
|
|
2 |
S. McLaughlin
|
1
|
34
|
12.495
|
–
|
|
|
3 |
C. Lundgaard
|
12
|
1
|
12.915
|
–
|
|
|
4 |
K. Kirkwood
|
15
|
0
|
25.274
|
–
|
|
|
5 |
P. O’Ward
|
8
|
0
|
26.075
|
–
|
|
|
6 |
M. Ericsson
|
2
|
1
|
26.256
|
–
|
|
|
7 |
J. Newgarden
|
23
|
1
|
26.422
|
–
|
|
|
8 |
R. Grosjean
|
6
|
0
|
28.039
|
–
|
|
|
9 |
R. Veekay
|
19
|
0
|
28.715
|
–
|
|
|
10 |
D. Hauger
|
3
|
0
|
29.872
|
–
|
|
|
11 |
M. Armstrong
|
7
|
0
|
30.468
|
–
|
|
|
12 |
F. Rosenqvist
|
11
|
0
|
30.811
|
–
|
|
|
13 |
D. Malukas
|
5
|
0
|
33.776
|
–
|
|
|
14 |
L. Foster
|
9
|
2
|
38.039
|
–
|
|
|
15 |
K. Simpson
|
10
|
0
|
38.909
|
–
|
|
|
16 |
A. Rossi
|
25
|
0
|
49.613
|
–
|
|
|
17 |
C. Collet
|
24
|
0
|
1:01.977
|
–
|
|
|
18 |
G. Rahal
|
18
|
0
|
1:03.134
|
–
|
|
|
19 |
C. Rasmussen
|
14
|
0
|
1:03.191
|
–
|
|
|
20 |
N. Siegel
|
22
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
–
|
|
|
21 |
S. Robb
|
20
|
0
|
7 Laps
|
–
|
|
|
22 |
W. Power
|
13
|
0
|
45 Laps
|
–
|
|
|
23 |
S. Dixon
|
16
|
2
|
61 Laps
|
–
|
|
|
24 |
S. Ferrucci
|
 |
17
|
0
|
100 Laps
|
–
|
|
25 |
M. Schumacher
|
21
|
0
|
100 Laps
|
–
|
|
