IndyCar at St. Petersburg results: Scott McLaughlin takes checkered flag in 2022 season opener

Overcoming last year's struggles led to McLaughlin's first career win in IndyCar

The IndyCar Series took the green flag on their 2022 season with Sunday's Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, and prior to the event Scott McLaughlin was thinking a top-seven finish would be a great.

Road courses were the thorn in his side last year, McLaughlin's rookie season, but as soon as his car was unloaded from the transporter he was fast on the tight, 1.8-mile, 14-turn course along the city's waterfront. He had the fastest practice lap and qualified on the pole.

Now he's the race winner.

"I'm out of breath," 28-year old McLaughlin ton NBC Sports. "I struggled those last few laps just to keep my head in it."

Understandable, considering that right behind him was the defending series champion, Alex Palou, 24, who was waiting for McLaughlin to make a mistake.

"He was on rails," Palou said of McLaughlin. "I don't think we had the pace that Scott had there at the end, but we were close."

Coming up just short and on a three-stop strategy rather than a two-stop was series graybeard Will Power, who showed that no one should be counting out the veterans.

"We got caught out on that yellow," said Power, who did complain a little about back-marker cars.

The journey to this point for McLaughlin was filled with switchbacks. Coming from Australian Supercars, where he had won three titles on the trot for Roger Penske, he struggled as Team Penske's IndyCar team had an off season, and wondered if he had made the right choice.

"It's hard to go from the mindset of win every week to 'I hope I have a top 15 car'," McLaughlin said. "I'm competitive and I didn't know how to go through that. It's a mind game. You have to be on top of it and believe in yourself."

In his corner was Penske, who reminded the young New Zealander that while racing is about finding margins in the 10ths of seconds, life is a marathon, not a sprint. 

"Last year led to this moment. And this is one of the top-three moments in my life, and they are … OK, top four, because my wife would be mad," said McLaughlin, who then pointed out that the list was not in order of importance. "My marriage, my first win in Supercar, first championship in Supercar and first IndyCar win."

And when it was pointed out that the winner of the first race of the season has gone on to win the IndyCar season title the past three years, McLaughlin smiled, let out a little laugh and quickly displayed that while his head may be in the clouds out the moment, his feet were still firmly on the ground.

"What won the championship last year was the 7.1-average race result," he said, matter of factly. "We can't rest on one win. Let's keep the momentum up. But when we have a fourth-place car, we take fourth place. When we can win, we take advantage of it."

Unofficial top 10

1. Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet
2. Alex Palou, Honda
3. Will Power, Chevrolet
4. Colton Herta, Honda
5. Romain Grosjean, Honda\
6. Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet
7. Graham Rahal, Chevrolet
8. Scott Dixon, Honda
9. Marcus Ericsson, Honda
10. Takuma Sato, Honda

Power feeling blue

Will Power is known for his intensity. And his sarcastic wit. 

He is also known for telling it like it is, and he was a bit upset with Jimmie Johnson not moving out of his way in the closing moments of the race when Power believed he had a chance to still challenge.

"We really need to take a look at blue flags," said Power, referring to a flag that some series have to inform a driver off the pace that there is faster traffic closing on him or her. 

Power emphasized that while he was grumpy about that, he was happy with the approach Team Penske have taken and the early returns they have shown.

"We had one of our worst seasons last year, and a disappointing Indy 500, and we have turned up with better cars," Power said. "We have a different philosophy. And it's showing on the track. From the moment I was on the track on Friday the car was fast, and didn't have to change a thing at all."

Up next

The series now jumps to the short, 1.44-mile oval on March 20 at Texas Motor Speedway for the Xpel 375 at 12.30 p.m. on NBC and you can stream the race on fuboTV (try for free).

TMS hosted back-to-back races in 2021 with Scott Dixon claiming his only win on the season on Saturday, and Pato O'Ward his first IndyCar win on Sunday. This race will mark Jimmie Johnson's return to oval-track racing since his departure from NASCAR. 

[Feb 27, 2022 at 2:23 pm ET · Richard Biebrich Jr.]

Palou has a look around McLaughlin on the outside but thinks the better of it as McLaughlin holds on for his first IndyCar Series win.

Power will finish third, followed by Herta and Grosjean as the unofficial top five.

[Feb 27, 2022 at 2:21 pm ET · Richard Biebrich Jr.]

This may be it for Palou as they come down the front straight, but now with 1 lap to go he can't catch McLaughlin, who in turn is not able to get past DeFrancesco.

[Feb 27, 2022 at 2:20 pm ET · Richard Biebrich Jr.]

Tatiana Calderon moves aside as the leaders catch her at the front straight, with Devlin DeFrancesco the next car they need to negotiate around.

[Feb 27, 2022 at 2:17 pm ET · Richard Biebrich Jr.]

Power is doing everything he can to get into the mix but is 3.6 seconds behind Palou, now 0.6 seconds adrift of McLaughlin as the lead group catches up to the tail of the pack.

[Feb 27, 2022 at 2:16 pm ET · Richard Biebrich Jr.]

Palou looks to have backed off a bit in order to make his fuel number as the gap is now a bit over a second, and that has taken some pressure off McLaughlin.

Palou's pit crew has said he can push a little, but not a lot.

[Feb 27, 2022 at 2:10 pm ET · Richard Biebrich Jr.]

Half-a-second separates McLaughlin in first and Palou in second with 10 laps to go. Power is third followed by VeeKay and Herta.

[Feb 27, 2022 at 2:02 pm ET · Richard Biebrich Jr.]

Dixon pits on Lap 79 with McLaughlin moving back to the front. All his troubles are behind him, but coming up fast.

[Feb 27, 2022 at 2:00 pm ET · Richard Biebrich Jr.]

Herta a little frustrated, and gets a call from his strategist to "be cool". His strategist is his father, Bryan, a two-time winner in IndyCar, but you can't help but wonder if there is a little bit of tune out as many 21-year-old and younger sons do to their dads.