IndyCar in Monterey: McLaughlin ends winless Streak, Palou takes the '26 Title

The Milwaukee Mile double-header done, it has left the championship with just one race remaining, with DRIVERS finishing first at the Milwaukee Mile double-header. The series will then make its final stop at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the Grand Prix of Monterey, where the 2026 season will reach its conclusion and the drivers’ champion will finally be crowned.

Practice One: Palou Tops Laguna Seca

Alex Palou topped the opening IndyCar practice session at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, setting a 1:09.899 lap to lead the field. Felix Rosenqvist came close to taking the top spot, finishing just 0.091 seconds behind Palou. Pato O’Ward followed in third, while Scott McLaughlin took fourth. Kyffin Simpson impressed in fifth for Chip Ganassi Racing with a 1:10.376, finishing ahead of Graham Rahal, Marcus Ericsson, David Malukas, Alexander Rossi and Christian Rasmussen.

The session saw several incidents. Josef Newgarden spun early, while Scott Dixon also had a moment on track. Santino Ferrucci caused the biggest incident when he crashed heavily at Turn 9 and brought out a late red flag. Ferrucci climbed from his car unaided. Palou’s strong start gave him early momentum heading into the Laguna Seca finale.

Practice Two: McLaughlin leads shortened Practice 2 at Laguna Seca

Scott McLaughlin topped the timesheets in a shortened second practice session at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca as IndyCar prepared for the season finale. The session started late after officials repaired the catch fencing and barriers at the Corkscrew following an incident during a support race. The delay left drivers with only around 25 minutes of track time.

McLaughlin made the most of the limited running and set a 1:10.3014 to lead the session. Felix Rosenqvist finished second, while newly crowned five-time champion Álex Palou placed third. David Malukas and Will Power completed the top five.The session gave McLaughlin valuable momentum ahead of qualifying, where he continued his strong form and secured pole position for the season finale.

Penalties announced for Laguna Seca

INDYCAR Officiating announced six-position starting grid penalties for the No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises and No. 7 Arrow McLaren entries ahead of the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey. Both teams received the penalties for making unapproved engine changes following the Milwaukee Mile race on August 30. The cars breached Rule 16.1.2.3.2, which covers engine change-outs and manufacturer points. Under Rule 16.1.6.1.2, the six-position penalties applied to road and street course events.

As a result, both cars received six-place grid penalties for Sunday’s race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The penalties added another challenge for both teams heading into the final IndyCar race of the season, with their starting positions set to drop six places from where they qualified.

Qualifying: McLaughlin takes Pole at Laguna Seca

Scott McLaughlin secured pole position for the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca after producing a late flying lap in the Firestone Fast Six. The Team Penske driver set a 1:09.1363 to beat newly crowned five-time champion Álex Palou by just 0.0177 seconds. McLaughlin claimed his third pole of the season and delivered Chevrolet its 250th NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole.

Felix Rosenqvist continued his strong weekend by qualifying third, while Alexander Rossi took fourth. Christian Lundgaard qualified fifth but dropped to 11th on the starting grid after receiving a six-place penalty for an unapproved engine change.

David Malukas completed the Fast Six, while Kyle Kirkwood qualified seventh. Pato O’Ward struggled in the opening round and started 13th. McLaughlin headed the field into the final race of the 2026 season, with Palou alongside him on the front row.

Qualifying Results

Scott McLaughlin – 1:09.136
Álex Palou – 1:09.154
Felix Rosenqvist – 1:09.193
Alexander Rossi – 1:09.324
Christian Lundgaard – 1:10.222
David Malukas – 1:12.846
Kyle Kirkwood – 1:09.572
Marcus Ericsson – 1:09.696
Kyffin Simpson – 1:09.699
Marcus Armstrong – 1:09.995

No. 28 Andretti Global receives six-Position Grid Penalty

INDYCAR Officiating issued a six-position starting grid penalty to the No. 28 Andretti Global entry after the team made an unapproved engine change following Saturday’s warmup at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

The penalty came under Rule 16.1.2.3.2, which states that a fifth engine only counts as an approved change if a full-season entrant has completed the required mileage with its first four engines. Otherwise, the change becomes an unapproved engine change-out.

Under Rule 16.1.6.1.2, an unapproved engine change carries a six-position grid penalty at road and street course events and a nine-position penalty at oval events. The No. 28 entry served the penalty at the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, dropping six positions from its qualifying result.

Race McLaughlin ends winless Streak with Laguna Seca Victory

Scott McLaughlin ended his long wait for an IndyCar victory with a dominant win in the 2026 season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. McLaughlin started from pole and controlled the race from the front. The Team Penske driver led 87 of the 95 laps and kept Kyle Kirkwood behind him during the closing stages. He claimed his first victory since Milwaukee in 2024 and secured his eighth career IndyCar win.

Kirkwood secures second

Kyle Kirkwood finished second for Andretti Global, crossing the line just over a second behind McLaughlin. Kirkwood stayed within striking distance for much of the race, but he could not find a way past McLaughlin. His podium also helped him secure second place in the final championship standings behind Alex Palou.

Rossi completes the Podium

Alexander Rossi took third for Ed Carpenter Racing and completed the podium. The result gave Rossi his first podium of the 2026 season after a challenging campaign. Felix Rosenqvist finished fourth, while David Malukas completed the top five.

Opening-lap Drama

The race’s biggest incident happened almost immediately after the start. Dennis Hauger made contact with Sting Ray Robb on the opening lap, which sent Hauger into the barriers and brought out the race’s only full-course caution. Hauger could not continue and became the race’s only retirement.

Credit: Indycar.com

Palou struggles after securing the Title

Alex Palou arrived at Laguna Seca as a five-time IndyCar champion after securing the title before the season finale. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver started on the front row alongside McLaughlin but struggled during the race. Palou dropped as low as 18th before fighting his way back through the field.

He eventually finished eighth, but his strategy and tyre choice did not give him enough pace to challenge for the victory. Despite the difficult finale, Palou finished the season as champion after another impressive campaign.

Strong finish for Armstrong

Marcus Armstrong finished seventh for Meyer Shank Racing and ended his season with a strong result. Armstrong finished just ahead of Palou and Marcus Ericsson, who took ninth. Kyffin Simpson completed the top 10. Pato O’Ward finished 11th, while Will Power crossed the line in 13th.

VeeKay finishes 16th

Rinus VeeKay finished 16th for Juncos Hollinger Racing. The Dutchman completed all 95 laps but could not challenge for the higher points-paying positions. Sting Ray Robb finished 23rd after completing 94 laps, while Nolan Siegel also completed 94 laps and finished 24th.

McLaughlin closes the season in style

McLaughlin closed the 2026 IndyCar season with a long-awaited victory. After going 36 races without a win, the New Zealander finally returned to the top step of the podium. He converted his pole position into victory and controlled the race throughout the majority of the afternoon.

Palou ended the season as champion, while McLaughlin celebrated a much-needed return to victory lane. Laguna Seca provided an exciting conclusion to the 2026 IndyCar season, with McLaughlin taking the final chequered flag of the year.